Lajpat Nagar now no-hawking zone

The Delhi High court on Thursday declared Lajpat Nagar as a no-hawking zone stating that encroachments on the pavements by street vendors there could prove fatal.

"This is a classic case where having learnt our lesson, we still refuse to adhere," the court said with regard to the return of street vendors to the area.

A bench of Justices GS Sistani and Vinod Goel recalled that the then Lieutenant Governor had in 1996 declared the area as a no-hawking or squatting zone as emergency services could not reach the victims of a massive bomb blast that had occurred that year claiming 13 lives. It noted that the situation has worsened with the influx of people and street vendors.