Encroachments On The Rise In Potohar Town

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th August, 2016) :- Potohar Town has been beset with encroachments, as the shopkeepers and vendors have occupied most of the footpaths and open spaces in the area and hampering road traffic besides creating trouble for pedestrians. The encroachers have set up their stalls at almost all main roads of Potohar Town including Adiala road, Dhamial road, Chakri road, Morgah, Misrial road, Kotah Kalan, Dhama More and several other areas. In many areas the handcart bazaars have also been established.

The encroachers have occupied both sides of roads due to which the citizens are facing problems and the encroachments creating difficulties in the smooth flow of over-loaded traffic in the area.

Traffic jam is now a routine affair on most of Potohar town roads particularly during peak hours. Chakri road which is nearly 120 feet wide but due to encroachments it is shrinking and about two kilometers area near Bisket Factory chowk which is now hub of vehicle repairing workshops, vegetable and fruit merchants, restaurants, motor showrooms, building material go downs and center of other business activities is fully rule by the encroachers.

Similarly, Adiala road, Dhamial road, Morgah and Kota Kalan are congested areas and need attention of authorities concerned as traffic jam for hours has become routine on several roads of these areas.

These localities are administratively under the control of TMA, Potohar Town but it seems that the authorities concerned are least interest to remove encroachments and have turned a blind eye to the problem.

Though, a number of anti-encroachment drives were launched by the authorities but the situation never changed in the town as owing to the encroachments, not only the motorists but also pedestrians face trouble.

Talking to APP, Saleem, a resident of the area said that the authorities should launch a comprehensive drive to remove encroachments from the area which should be followed by strict monitoring so that the roads could not be encroached again. Fawad, a resident of Dhamial said that the encroachers have occupied both sides of the roads and left no space for car parking in the bazaars or even walkway for pedestrians.

“The authorities should come up with an effective strategy and concerned officials should pay surprise visits at different times in the day to remove the encroachments,” he said. Arif, another resident of Adiala road, said that apart from traffic jams we are also suffering from noise pollution.

“The authorities should take notice of the negligence of the concerned department,” he added. Goods displayed on the road, outside shops must be confiscated and the encroachers should be fined heavily as warnings and routine action of anti-encroachment personnel have totally failed to remove the encroachments. The citizens urged the TMA authorities to take strict action against the shopkeepers, vendors, fruit and vegetable handcart owners that are creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic.