NDMC Clears 62 Tonnes of Waste Near Connaught Place Following Protests
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) removed 62 tonnes of waste and restored damaged public infrastructure across Jantar Mantar and surrounding commercial areas, including Connaught Place, between Saturday night and Sunday morning following a student protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party.
More than 500 NDMC personnel participated in the emergency drive, which involved pressure washing roads, repainting slogan-covered walls, repairing kerbstones, and restoring green belts and footpaths. According to NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Chahal, the civic body deployed seven pressure jetting machines, one excavator, two trucks, and eight auto tippers to complete the intensive cleanup.
At the Jantar Mantar protest site, municipal staff repainted walls that had been covered in slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad” and “We exist because we resist.” NDMC workers from circle two and circle three, including staff normally assigned to Gole Market, were placed on emergency duty starting at 6 a.m. to wrap up the operation. On Sunday, Jantar Mantar remained off-limits to the general public with barricades and heavy security forces remaining in place.
Nearby commercial hubs, including Connaught Place, Janpath Market, and Palika Bazaar, began returning to normal operating hours as Metro and internet services were fully restored. Shops in the area had previously been forced to close early or limit merchandise displays during the multi-day demonstration.
Atul Bhargava, president of the New Delhi Traders Association for Connaught Place, stated that sales had declined by approximately 25 percent during the protest period due to closures during peak business hours. Local traders and restaurant managers in Janpath and Connaught Place confirmed that dine-in services and full retail displays resumed on Sunday as visitor footfall began to recover.
Auto drivers and street vendors operating within a two to three kilometer radius of Connaught Place also reported the easing of traffic restrictions, barricades, and heavy congestion that had impacted local movement over the preceding days.
