Just a week left for the annual Kanwad pilgrimage to begin, the district administration along with the local police has removed many encroachments along the national highways passing through the city while using JCB machines on Monday, the last day of the three-day anti-encroachment drive. Despite the traders and the roadside vendors coming out in protest after the drive was launched things fizzled out soon as the administration made it clear that it was not in a mood to relent.
Monday saw the city magistrate Jai Bharat Singh and SP city Mamta Vohra leading the drive from the front. Huts were demolished by JCBs near Rodibelwala and Bairagi camp area. One team led by CO City Prakash Deoli removed such encroachments from the Har Ki Pauri area. Seeing the civic body officials and the police approaching, many traders trading on Upper Road of Haridwar had their waresm kept outside their shops, removed.
Besides, parapets and tin shades were demolished by the team too. It is learnt that till the end of the day, police razed to the ground more than 100 such encroachments found occupying the sides of the roads. Anti-encroachment was carried out at railway station and bus stands by another team of local police. The vendors selling food stuff on movable carts were forced to move out too. Police took the goods of a roadside vender near a bus stand to the police station after he refused to move out as directed by the team.
Speaking of the drive, SP City Mamta Vohra said, “The three-day anti-encroachment drive has seen sides of the highways and bus stands being freed from encroachments. The people have been asked to keep about three feet from the main roads free. The drive would be carried out throughout this week. ”