NDMC's clean-up drive rids CP of beggars, junkies

Connaught Place (CP) was once a place that struck fear in the hearts of Delhiites. Pounced upon by loosely robed junkies, this area in the centre of the capital was a place couples, families and individuals ran away from as nightfall approached.

The New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has begun a clean-up drive to remove beggars and vagabonds who are mostly drug addicts from CP. NDMC officials said that the operation, which started over the weekend, was begun after increasing complaints from the public.

"The civic body, in a joint operation with the Delhi Police and the Delhi government's Social Welfare Department, has been conducting raids in the area. There was a rise in the number of complaints about shoppers and tourists being harassed by beggars under the influence of substance abuse," said a senior NDMC official.

Around 80 beggars and drug addicts have been removed from the area over the week.

The operation is all the more critical now as CP has recently revamped its image and is fast becoming the go-to place in the capital. In fact, the area is fast becoming a hub for nightlife, and restaurant and pub owners say if CP's new image is to be maintained, the removal of beggars, who harass visitors, is needed.

Charanjeet Singh, Operations Director, Warehouse Cafe, said that there was an urgent need for this drive. "At times when the pubs are crowded, groups of beggars keep waiting for guests to move out. The moment they move out, these groups surround the guests, making the women feel uncomfortable. Also, they sometimes snatch purses." He added: "When the staff leave late in the night, they follow and at times beat them up and snatch their phones or bags."

Visitors to CP agree. Anisha Trivedi, an MBA student, said that she had started avoiding going to CP because of the nuisance by beggars. "It had become scary to walk on the streets in the night. The moment you walk out, a beggar would come out of nowhere and harass you. This is unacceptable."

Traders also added that apart from beggars, officials needed to tackle the menace of drug addicts. "There is a big group of drug addicts and others permanently living in the H and M blocks in the outer circle. People are scared of walking along these corridors or going to their cars parked here. We had a meeting with the police last week in this regard," said Atul Bhargav, President, New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA).

He added, "This place is an international destination and needs to be cleaned up."

This is the second such drive by the agencies since the 2010 Commonwealth Games when an anti-begging campaign was launched. In this raid, a joint team of police personnel, the NDMC's chief security officer and members of the Social Welfare Department conducted the raid in the inner and outer blocks and the area surrounding Hanuman Mandir.

"On the first day of the raid, we caught around 30 beggars and drug addicts. We have been continuously working against the menace. However, we wanted the NDMC to take responsibility of the properties seized from them. As far as beggars and vagabonds are concerned, some of them have been sent to shelter homes," said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) RP Meena.

Beggars located in CP

According to a survey by Duayen Foundation, an NGO, there are 679 beggars in and around Connaught Place. It also claims that the beggar homes in the city can accommodate more than 200 beggars but only 20-25 are found residing in these places.

A Delhi School of Social Work (DSSW) survey report says that 71 per cent of the city's beggars are driven by poverty. More than 66 per cent of the beggars are able-bodied. The survey also reveals that begging as a livelihood wins over casual labour. For 96 per cent, the average daily income is Rs 80 more than what daily wage earners make.