Tirupati : Municipal Corporation Commissioner Narapureddy Mourya directed the town planning officials to take effective measures to prevent encroachments of tanks, ponds, drains, canals in the city.

She also told them not to be lenient towards encroachments of water bodies and deal with the encroachers with an iron hand.

The Commissioner along with town planning, engineering and health department officials inspected Pan Cheruvu, Ganesh Layout, Sai Vishnu Layout, Jana Chaitanya Layout and Annamayya Marg Road on Wednesday. She said that several complaints were received from the public on the encroachments of water bodies and construction of houses in tanks and in dried up streams in the city.

Mourya said in many places the drains were also partially occupied for constructions. The town planning officials were ordered to identify all encroachments and to remove them. She asked health department officials to intensify creating awareness among the residents against throwing waste in drains and to ensure that mini vans will send to all areas for collection of household waste.

Deputy Commissioner Amaraiah, SE Syam Sundar, TUDA SE Krishna Reddy, EE Raveendra, ME Gomati, Health Officer Dr Yuva Anvesh Reddy, RO Sethu Madhav, DCP Mahapaatra, ACPs Balaji, Murthy, DE Ramana, Surveyor Koteswar Rao, Sanitary Supervisor Sumati were present.