The District administration, Municipal Corporation of Dehradun and police conducted anti-encroachment campaign from Darshanlal Chowk to Saharanpur Chowk on Friday.
The anti-encroachment team had to face some angry shop keepers near Inamullah building who tried to prevent unauthorised constructions from being demolished. The team demolished unauthorised constructions on the roadside and seized some of the materials kept by traders on the roadside. The authorities sprung to action after the High Court sought information on what had been done to rid the footpaths of encroachment in Dehradun.
The campaign began from Paltan Bazaar on Thursday where the many roadside encroachments had totally covered the roadside drain. On Friday, the authorities began the drive at Darshanlal Chowk from where the team began removing articles kept by traders on the roadside and demolished some unauthorised constructions, especially those which had blocked roadside drains.
When the team reached the Inamullah building area, they faced strong opposition from some shopkeepers who protested against the demolition of a slope built on the roadside. They complained dirty water from the road enters the shops during the rains. The slope had been constructed to prevent the shops from taking in dirty water and was not causing inconvenience to any pedestrian as the slope was not used to display wares by any shopkeeper.
The Fire Brigade had also built a similar slope on the roadside some distance away, they added. One of the persons had a heated argument first with the additional district magistrate (Administration) Harak Singh Rawat who then handed over the man to the police who in turn tried to load him onto a police vehicle. However, he was let off after the local elders intervened. The team demolished this slope and later moved ahead and seized various items kept on the roadside by the shopkeepers.
At various places, the team found that shop keepers and petty traders had encroached upon roadside drains. Rawat said that the anti-encroachment will be continued by the administration along with MCD and police and action will be taken against those encroaching on the roadside or footpath.