The Hindu 21.12.2010
Encroachments cause congestion in Panneer Selvam Park area
| Some shops have extended product display up to road |
Inconvenience:Road users find it very difficult to travel on Brough Road and many other parts in Panneer Selvam Park area as hawkers have occupied both the sides.
ERODE: The Panneer Selvam Park area witnesses chaotic traffic every day, thanks to hawkers who have occupied every bit of space on both sides of the roads and streets.
Eateries, vegetable and cloth vendors among others continue to hinder traffic flow on the busy streets, Brough Road, Manikoondu and a number of inner streets in the Park area.
Some of the shops have even extended their product display up to the road by constructing concrete structures on it.
Vehicle users are facing a lot of difficulties while travelling particularly during the peak hours. The police personnel are also finding it difficult to regulate the traffic flow every day.
Heavy vehicles and buses are operated on many of the roads in the area. The buses can move only at a snail's pace due to the encroachments, they say.
Pedestrians are the worst affected as walking in the Park area particularly during the peak morning and evening hours gives a nightmarish experience to them.
Officials at the State highways, Revenue Department and the Erode Corporation continue to turn a blind eye over this issue despite repeated representations.
Efforts are taken to remove encroachments only when we put pressure on the officials concerned, a senior citizen points out.
Officials on a few occasions took steps to evict the encroachers and demolish the deviated structures. But after a couple of days, the vendors managed to set up their shops again.
Opposition
We face strong opposition when we try to remove the encroachments. The vendors often come with the support of political parties preventing us from removing their shops completely, a senior official in the civic body says.
People urged the authorities concerned to bring in concrete efforts to remove the encroachments and ensure smooth traffic flow on the town roads.
The hawkers should be given a separate place to set up their shops so that their livelihood is also protected, they added.
