MCD demolishes structures around Jama Masjid as part of encroachment removal drive

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday initiated a demolition drive around the Jama Masjid area in Old Delhi clearing “temporary structures” built in public parks near the Mughal era monument, senior civic officials said.

MCD officials said that the encroachment removal drive was being undertaken in compliance with the directions of the Delhi high court to recover the public spaces.

The MCD spokesperson said that the enforcement action is focused on the parks around Jama Masjid. “As part of ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with the directions of the Delhi high court and to safeguard public spaces, an enforcement action was undertaken in the park areas around Jama Masjid under Old Delhi Zone, MCD. Certain unauthorised temporary structures were removed by the MCD teams with the full cooperation of all concerned stakeholders and authorities,” the spokesperson said adding that the demolition exercise was carried out peacefully.

“The debris clearance operations are underway to protect public land and maintain the parks,” spokesperson added. Teams from the maintenance department were deployed in the morning to clear three parks in the area, official added.

Earlier this year in January, the Delhi high court ordered a probe into encroachments in and around Jama Masjid, saying, “If any illegal construction is found, the law must take its course.”

MCD has been directed to undertake a comprehensive survey of constructions in and around the Jama Masjid premises and initiate statutory action for the removal of encroachments or unauthorised structures found during the exercise.