Drive to clear walkways in Puducherry of encroachments enters fourth day

Following public complaints and newspaper reports highlighting illegal encroachments causing hindrance to free movement of vehicles and pedestrians on thoroughfares and arterial roads, the District Administration launched a month-long drive a few days ago

As the drive against encroachment along footpaths on busy stretches in Puducherry entered the fourth day on Thursday, residents are seeking effective steps from the District Administration to ensure that the pedestrian walkways are not once again illegally occupied by vendors and shopowners.

The District Administration had, on November 4, launched a month-long drive against illegal encroachments in the North and South Sub-Divisions of Puducherry. The decision to initiate the drive was taken following public complaints and newspaper reports that highlighted the hindrances caused by illegal encroachments to free movement of vehicles and pedestrians on thoroughfares and arterial roads.

After the District Road Safety Committee headed by the District Collector, A. Kulothungan, discussed ways to address the encroachment issue at one of its meetings on October 24, Deputy Collector, Headquarters, M.M Vinayaraj issued a detailed order authorising the Estate Officers of concerned divisions of the Public Works Department to carry out the eviction drive. A detailed schedule for conducting the eviction drive in 25 places — both in urban and rural areas — has been issued by the Deputy Collector.

“Since the launch of the drive on J. N Street in North Sub-Division and East Car Street in Villianur in South Sub Division on November 4, we have removed around 90 illegal structures constructed on pavements, roads and streets. We carried out the drive after intimating the owners and these illegal structures were either causing obstruction to free movement of pedestrians or vehicles. The drive will continue till November 29,” said an official.

On Thursday, several hoardings of shops erected on pavements along Mission Street were removed. The eviction team, comprising workers from PWD, Local Administration, Revenue and Police departments, also removed sheds constructed on pedestrian pathways for two-wheeler rental business on Mission Street, the official said.

R. Ravichandran, a resident and retired government employee, said the rampant encroachment of pedestrian pathways, especially on Jawaharlal Nehru Street, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Mission Street, Anna Salai and Kamaraj Salai, was a concern for all and senior citizens in particular.

“It is a welcome decision to clear the roads of encroachments. However, such drives in the past did not yield any long term results as illegal structures returned to the same place after a few days or weeks. The drive should continue and the government should consider imposing a fine and initiate criminal proceedings against repeat offenders. The team which is now carrying out the eviction drive should conduct regular inspection to ensure rules are not violated,” he said.

He said there have been reports that some of the vendors have re-loaded goods on the pavements where the drive was conducted in the last two days.

Published - November 07, 2024 08:23 pm IST