PUNE: As part of its continuing measures to decongest the roads leading to the Pimpri market area, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on Wednesday conducted a day-long drive against hawkers. Nearly 225 hawkers were evicted during the drive, which began early in the morning.

Assistant commissioner and zone B officer, Dilip Gawde, told TOI on Wednesday that 47 tin sheds and 24 bamboo sheds were removed during the drive. Also, the small platforms erected by vegetable vendors were demolished. A total of 11 truckloads of debris were removed during the day.

Gawde said the PCMC had already appealed to shopkeepers not to display their goods on footpaths or roads. They had been told to remove all encroachments. Parking lots that had been encroached upon have now been cleared. With all these measures, traffic congestion can be avoided, he said.

The traffic police have been taking action against vehicles that are haphazardly parked on the roads and obstruct smooth flow of traffic. This is also helping in decongesting roads and allowing free movement of pedestrians, Gawde said.

The anti-encroachment drive included 25 labourers, while 19 policemen were deployed to provide security to the civic staff.

A large number of hawkers had been occupying both sides of the roads from Seva Vikas Bank office building to the Pimpri railway station and at the new vegetable market. It used to cause major traffic congestion in the area. Parking lots near the vegetable market were also encroached upon by vendors.