Delhi High Court Directs MCD To Prevent Footpath Encroachments And Closes Contempt Petition

The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other concerned authorities to maintain strict vigilance and prevent commercial establishments from encroaching upon public footpaths. <b>Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar</b> issued these directives while disposing of a nearly ten-year-old contempt petition regarding footpath encroachments. The court mandated that authorities must take prompt and appropriate legal action whenever merchandise display or structural extensions block public walkways. However, the bench declined to issue further removal orders for permanent structures, noting that the petitioner failed to substantiate the allegations with documentary evidence. The original contempt petition was filed by Parveen Kumar, alleging non-compliance with a May 2016 court order directed at stopping shopkeepers from extending their businesses onto footpaths.