Noida evicts encroachers, reclaims roads, sidewalks

Noida: Noida Authority carried out an anti-encroachment drive on Thursday across multiple sectors to improve traffic flow and restore sidewalks. Teams from work circles 1 to 10 covered areas such as sectors 10, 44, 69, 72 and 57, as well as Bhangel, Phase-2, and the Hosiery Complex, among others.
Earlier this month, the Authority had planned daily drives against unauthorised vendors, hawkers and stalls occupying public spaces. Encroachments are rampant in several areas, including Atta Market and Sector 27. Street vendors selling clothes, food, accessories and other goods set up temporary stalls on footpaths, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. The stalls often spill onto the roads, narrow out the carriageways and slow down traffic. The Authority's general manager, AK Arora, said they have been receiving complaints from residents, RWAs and industrial associations regarding illegal encroachments. "In response to these complaints, we have initiated the drive. Regular enforcement action has been started," he said.During the operation, earthmovers and dumpers were deployed to remove illegal kiosks, food carts, wooden stalls, and temporary structures that occupied footpaths and carriageways. Several vendors were seen clearing their belongings as enforcement teams removed structures and loaded confiscated material onto trucks.A shopkeeper at Atta Market, Sujit Kumar, said encroachment of footpaths and the roadside has forced vehicles to squeeze into limited space, leading to traffic bottlenecks, especially during peak hours. "The problem mounts up with on-road parking due to lack of proper parking zones. The Authority conducts drives, but within a few days, encroachers return to the same spots," he said.When asked about the problem of these street vendors returning to the public spaces, Arora said the Authority has developed designated vending zones across the city to regulate street vending and ensure livelihood security for hundreds of hawkers. They had identified specific areas in residential and commercial sectors like sectors 18, 15, 19, 142, Film City, where nearly 1000 vendors can operate legally without causing traffic congestion or encroachment. He added that if these vendors apply, they will be settled in the authorised vending zones.