E-Paper
Encroachments deface Panchkula’s planned character
Pedestrians are often forced to walk on busy roads because footpaths are encroached upon, significantly increasing the risk of accidents
The failure to effectively remove encroachments in Panchkula has emerged as a major civic concern, severely affecting urban life and infrastructure. Illegal occupation of roads, footpaths, and public spaces has reduced available space, resulting in frequent traffic congestion and bottlenecks across the city.
Pedestrians are often forced to walk on busy roads because footpaths are encroached upon, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. Consequently, emergency vehicles face delays during peak hours. Encroachments have further hampered cleanliness, disrupted planned urban development, and strained civic amenities such as drainage systems and parking facilities. Unregistered vendors have occupied verandas and footpaths in market areas, leaving little to no space for pedestrians. There is no effective check on this menace, and the civic body does not maintain data on the number of illegal vendors mushrooming across the city.
Poor planning is also a primary cause, with almost every market veranda being encroached upon. The situation is worst in the markets of Sectors 7, 9, 11, 15, 16, 20, and 21. Many shopkeepers place goods and boxes on verandas in nearly all major markets, encroaching on public space. This makes it difficult for pedestrians to walk freely, often forcing them to navigate through parking areas instead.
Rakesh Aggarwal, a member of Vikas Manch, Panchkula, said that encroachment in the city has become a routine and continuous process. He alleged that the issue of illegal vendors and the bribery linked to them was previously raised in the Vidhan Sabha, but no concrete action followed. “There is large-scale corruption behind the flourishing business of illegal vendors,” he claimed. Despite writing several letters to the authorities, Aggarwal said no meaningful action has been taken.
Even after Supreme Court and high court rulings mandated unobstructed footpaths, pedestrians continue to face difficulties. Residents have also raised safety concerns, particularly regarding ice cream and food vendors parking their carts along roadsides and near roundabouts, causing motorists to stop abruptly, increasing the risk of accidents. Furthermore, illegal shanties have appeared on vacant government land, with Sector 14 witnessing the highest concentration on Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land.
SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula, compared the situation to Chandigarh’s strict enforcement against illegal structures and vendors, criticising the Panchkula administration for its lax approach. He said the unchecked growth of encroachments has severely ‘disfigured’ the city and eroded its planned character. Meanwhile, municipal corporation (MC) commissioner RK Singh said the civic body is working on a structured policy. “Our focus is on facilitating people, therefore, we are not concentrating solely on removal,” he said.
Manav Malik, estate officer (EO) of HSVP, said that resumption notices have been issued to two showroom owners for continuous violations, with 40 more notices in the final stage. While many shopkeepers are now complying with directions, Malik added that an FIR has been registered against one shopkeeper for non-compliance and that enforcement drives are conducted regularly. Recently, HSVP teams worked extensively in Sector 5 and the MDC area, taking action in several internal markets where verandas were badly encroached, causing difficulties for customers.
Deputy commissioner Satpal Sharma on Tuesday conducted a surprise inspection across the city to ensure cleanliness, beautification and removal of encroachments. Taking serious note of illegal temporary stalls outside shops, he directed the HSVP to remove encroachments in market areas on a priority basis. He also inspected areas from Indira Colony to Labour Chowk in Sector 16 and instructed the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) to remove encroachments immediately.
