The Dhanbad Municipal Corporation is carrying out anti-encroachment drives across different localities of the district intended at regulating traffic congestion by removing illegal structures on the roads and public facilities like drains.

Notices have been given to different allottees of DMC shops near Vivekanand Chowk of Hirapur who have encroached on land beyond their allotted space on the road causing traffic congestion due to lack of availability of space for vehicles to be parked.

Several illegal pavements constructed by encroaching public drains of DMC have also been removed by the DMC team.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Sunday, Anil Kumar, Food Inspector of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation leading the anti-encroachment drive said, “Though, slight projection erected upto two feet by DMC shop allottees have yet not been issued notices so far but our focus at present is on those who have made blatant violation by carrying out encroachment upto ten feet or more”

“Several of these allottees have illegally constructed another shop other than the one allotted to them and realised rent from them,” said Kumar.

“We have launched the drive against illegal construction last week and removed around 10 illegally constructed garages and vehicle washing bays lying on the roadside on the road connecting the golf ground to Hirapur Hatia More,” said Kumar.

“An inspection of the housing colony locality was conducted on Saturday during which the illegal pavement constructed over the public train by an electronics item shop, Gupta Electronics, have been removed under our supervision while notices have also been given to operators of Dr Kailash Prasad’s Hospital for flowing the drain water on road,” he said.

“The move is aimed at preventing encroachment of the public places at a time when all efforts are being taken by the district to improve the traffic situation by regulating the movement of public buses, heavy vehicles as well as auto rickshaw,” said Kumar.