The district administration, municipal and urban authorities have started a campaign to rid the footpaths of the city of encroachment. The action is being taken in view of an affidavit to be submitted in the Uttarakhand High Court. Though the authorities appear serious to remove encroachments, skeptics question whether the authorities will also focus on keeping the footpaths free of encroachments after these are removed.
On the weekend, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), Municipal Corporation of Dehradun and District administration officials removed roadside encroachments by traders and shopkeepers at the Paltan Bazaar. Though some members of the business fraternity strongly protested the authorities’ action, the official teams were able to rid the footpaths of encroachment here. The authorities plan to undertake similar drives to remove roadside encroachments in different areas of the State capital, especially the commercial areas.
However, observers point out that this is not the first time when the authorities are appearing serious and acting to remove roadside encroachments. Most anti-encroachment drives undertaken by the authorities in Dehradun so far follow the same pattern. The authorities demolish and remove some encroachments while facing the opposition of the business fraternity with some community leaders trying to exert political influence to prevent such action.
The authorities remove encroachment and announce that encroachments will not be tolerated but soon after the roadsides are freed of encroachments, the encroachments return to the freed spaces and those indulging in such practices continue to go about their business without much effect.Even on this weekend, after the authorities removed encroachments from the roadside at Paltan Bazaar, these returned to occupy the same space once the official teams moved ahead to clear the footpaths.
With footpaths across the city either being ill-designed or being encroached upon, pedestrians frequently walk on the main roads. This practice not only hinders the smooth flow of traffic but also increases the accident risk faced by pedestrians. It now remains to be seen whether the present encroachment removal drive will also extend to ensuring that the roadsides remain free of encroachments after the completion of this drive.