There is fresh trouble for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as the residents of Vasant Marg and adjoining areas are up in arms against the civic body for allegedly destroying the pavements.

At the centre of the controversy is the MCD road widening project related to the Commonwealth Games.

While the residents claim that the project, undertaken without consulting the Residents’ Welfare Associations, is causing inconvenience to the pedestrians; the MCD says the project is completely authorised and similar to streetscaping.

The list of residents to complain against the MCD move includes influential names like the Ambassador of Tunisia, Former captain of the Indian cricket team MAK Pataudi and Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna, along with other prominent personalities.

In a written complaint filed with the Vasant Vihar police station, a group of residents have alleged that the Corporation has “no official authorisation for the project and the MCD officials at the site could not produce any written order or concept” to this effect.

Incidentally, the area is already experiencing traffic congestion due to the ongoing construction of PWD’s twin flyovers near the Outer Ring Road.

Many schools like the Modern School and Guru Harkisan Public School are also located in the area.

The residents claim “shortening the pavement area will only cause problems for pedestrians and that there is no point in extending the already 8-metre wide road.”

“The workers at the site have dug up the whole area and the pavements at the T-junction of Poorvi Marg-Vasant Marg stretch have been broken. Besides, the debris has been collected at the site itself,” said Sheila Mathrani, a resident of the area.

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