GHMC plans special footpath encroachment clearance drive

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement, GHMC, is taking up a special footpaths encroachments clearance drive to remove all the encroachments on footpaths in a very big way and this type of drive will be very different when compared to that of yester years.

In the recent past, several times the High Court has given certain directions for removal of encroachments on footpaths and though drives have been conducted earlier the results have not been derived up to the expectations. Keeping in view of the importance of the directions of the High Court the Directorate of EV&DM, GHMC was planning to take up a special drive and the main aim of the drive is *”Right to Walk”* on Footpaths for the convenience of the Pedestrians, said Viswajit Kampati, IPS, Director Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management of GHMC.

The Directorate is deploying 6 special teams for the purpose involving Officers, Workers with Modernized Equipments, JCBs, Debris Removal Vehicles to remove foot paths encroachments in coordination with Traffic and Law & Order Police officials. Each team has been allotted eight stretches i.e., 8×6 altogether 48 stretches are being taken up in the first phase. for example Chaderghat to Ramkoti around 3 kms stretch, likewise 48 stretches will be covering around 127.5 km length of roads where 4133 identified encroachments will be removed on priority. Some of the teams are already on the sites directing the encroachers to remove voluntarily before the drive, if not the special teams will remove them immediately from 30th June without issuing any notice under section 405 of Act provision of the GHMC.

The GHMC will not initiate action against the small vendors who are doing business for which the GHMC UCD Wing is identifying some of the places for small vendors to do their business in allotted area without giving any scope of Traffic congestion at the places where the traffic flow is very high.

A meeting with Traffic & Law and Order Police officials has been conducted today and it has been decided that the police officials are making announcements at the sites to remove them voluntarily. At the first instance the GHMC will not penalize them but during the course of the drive if anybody opposes and after the drive if anybody found encroaching again severe action will be taken against them by booking criminal cases, posing heavy penalties, cancelling the Trade License to curb this menace.

The main aim of the GHMC is clearing of footpaths for Right to Walk, said Viswajit Kampati, IPS, Director Vigilance Enforcement and Disaster Management of GHMC. (NSS)