Officials slap notices on commercial structures

Nellore: Even as clearance of encroachments on irrigation canals in the city that hampered free flow of water during heavy rains has been at crossroads, municipal officials are planning to issue notices to owners of commercial buildings in city limits that obstruct hassle-free movement of traffic.
The city has been upgraded from a small municipality to a Corporation and still the systems have not been put in place to meet the demand of a smart city. The Union government recently announced making the city a smart one aiming at improving infrastructure and transportation facilities for more convenience of the denizens. Though the city witnessed huge improvement in population there was no corresponding progress in basic amenities and still the city is having congested roads, expanded traffic islands, no signals for management of traffic and lacks latest mechanism for surveillance like CCTV cameras etc.
Many commercial organisations expanded their structures encroaching roadside space creating trouble for traffic movement. Hotels, shops, shopping complexes and other commercial organisations gradually swallowed the margin space from KVR Petrol Pump to Kondayapalem gate centre and also from Fathekhanpet to Subedarpet and there has been no effort to clear encroachments and illegal occupancy of public places. Some roads likeMandapala street regularly witness chaotic situation, with vehicles moving in a narrow area where trade worth crores of rupees takes place every day. Now, civic officials are planning to issue notices to building owners where traffic problems are rampant in city limits.

“We are going to serve notices to the owners of commercial structures where there is serious difficulty for traffic movement. We will take stringent action after considering responses from them,” said PVVS Murthy, Municipal Commissioner.

In fact, road repairs were taken up at Police Office centre on main road some time ago and there was serious difficulty for traffic movement as the road shrunk on both sides. The situation continued for more than one month and the commuters are facing the same difficulty at Madras Bus Stand centre where road works are still going on.
There is a huge Nehru statue that occupied 40pc of the road and the rest has been closed due to repairs. Now, traffic has to move on a single way and people are facing severe inconvenience with congested road from RTC Bus Stand to VRC centre.
There were no efforts to clear excess land provided for a statue when the city population was facing regular difficulty. The same situation prevailed in many junctions where statues of politicos and national leaders occupied the roads. Though the Supreme Court issued directions to take stringent action against such violations, there were no efforts till now by the civic officials.

“The local officials cannot understand the situation as they see regularly and a survey has to be done by a reputed and experienced organisation for initiating steps to streamline the situation. Otherwise, the same problem will persist in future too,” said K Venkateswara Rao, retired Superintending Engineer of Roads and Buildings Department.