Footpath: Green body sees red

NEW DELHI: The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has taken serious note of the demolition of the footpaths outside Yusuf Sarai Market and has asked the police to prosecute the people who damaged public property. The TOI had on April 18 reported how these footpaths had been demolished overnight under mysterious circumstances. Though an FIR has been filed, police are yet to identify the miscreants who carried out the demolition.Public Works Department - the civic body responsible for maintenance of this area - has claimed that Yusuf Sadar traders' association had broken the footpath on April 12, on the day of Ram Navami.
"We have asked the police to identify the miscreants who demolished the footpaths outside Yusuf Sarai Market and prosecute the people behind the incident. We don't want anyone to think that that they can go scot-free after destroying public property. They have inconvenienced the pedestrians of the area who have no place to walk now. We know that someone among the Yusuf Sarai traders' association has done this,'' said Bhure Lal, member of EPCA. The rubble is still strewn on the road after the demolition of the footpath.
The PWD staffers had found the pavements demolished only in front of the Yusuf Sarai Market on April 12. The locals told them that it had been done by the traders in the area. The traders had earlier protested against construction of these pavements as it would limit their parking space. An FIR has been filed with the Hauz Khas police station.
The Yusuf Sarai traders' association, however, denied the claims. "The police have been carrying out their investigations but we have nothing to do with the incident,'' said president of Yusuf Sarai traders' association, Rajkumar Sharma.
"No one is willing to take responsibility for the incident. Destroying public property like this does not give out a good signal. We have now asked the police to aggressively pursue the matter and report to us by Saturday next week. We also want to work with the shopkeepers to find a viable solution for redeveloping the road stretch. But we cannot do away with the footpath as the pedestrians require space to walk on," said Sunita Narian, member of EPCA.
Meanwhile, DCP south was not available for comment. Police officials, however, confirmed that an FIR has been lodged by assistant engineer PWD for damage to public property. In its FIR, the PWD had said the footpath in front of Yusuf Sarai Market had been broken by the traders of the market by using a JCB.