The upscale Sector 29 market in Gurgaon, which is home to some of the poshest eateries and pubs in the city, has become a cause of worry for the authorities and its visitors.
The shops have illegally encroached upon the green belt, put fencing in front of the shop and closed open corridors, and illegally installed generators on the green corridors, rendering the place highly unsafe in case of an emergency. gurgaon news
The Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) had earlier issued a notice to over 30 eateries and bars, asking them to remove encroachments or face action. Now, HSVP plans to start a demolition drive to clear out encroachments, exactly three years after a similar drive was carried out in August 2015.
The market is home to nearly 80 restaurants and hotels. Most of these upscale establishments have installed heavy-duty generators in the HSVP’s green belts or on the authority’s land, which is a designated green belt.
The most crowded place for generators is the part of the market adjacent to the road opposite Crowne Plaza hotel. “Not only these generators add to air and noise pollution but so many of them placed together can prove to be a safety hazard. The government should seriously do something about improving the power infrastructure so that no one needs these,” said Puneet Mehta, a regular visitor here.
A visit to the market will tell you how the establishments here have turned it into a garbage dump with trash cans and waste lying everywhere.
Some of the restaurants have converted the rooftops into open seating spaces, clearly violating the norms. Some have fenced the corridor, making extra seating space. According to HSVP officials, this could prove highly dangerous in the event of fire or any other emergency as both the space in front of shops as well as parking area remain filled with cars.
Another official says that many eateries have blocked public passages, put fencing on the space in front of shops and constructed illegal stairways. The footpath has been covered with green plants and bushes leaving no space to walk.
However, restaurant owners have a different explanation. “We will not need any generators if the power supply was adequate. Already the market is facing a slowdown, any hard action would be counterproductive,” said a restaurant owner on the condition of anonymity.
The authority has issued notices to violators, asking them to take corrective measures, else the generators would be seized and a demolition drive carried out to curb the violations. Hari Singh Jakhar, estate officer 1, HSVP said, “If things don’t improve, we will demolish encroachments and seize generators installed on government land.”
