Patna: The demolition drive underway in the city cleared encroachments on Exhibition Road on Tuesday, and as a result the west lane of the road will be widened by 3.5 metres. Hence, the 7-metre-wide road will become 10.3 metres wide.

After a bulldozer cleared the encroachments, Patna divisional Anand Kishor instructed Umesh Kumar, executive engineer of the new capital road division of the road construction department, to undertake the task of widening of the road. Kishor also instructed that 1.5 metre of the width should be paver block to create a proper pavement.

According to the road construction department officials, while it would be easier for them to widen the west lane of the road, proper widening of the east lane might take some time due to existing encroachment of houses.

"Today much of the encroachment from the west lane of the road has been removed," Umesh Kumar said. "There was illegal parking on the lane which was removed, apart from other encroachments. We would be able to make the west lane 12-foot wide while on the east lane, we found many houses constructed illegally along the road due to which we would be able to widen the east lane only by 5 feet now.

"The divisional commissioner sir instructed us to get the east lane measured and to find out how much there was encroachment due to construction of houses," the engineer added. "We are now going to send a proposal regarding this to the department seeking permission for getting the measurement done. It would might take us little bit of time in demolishing the structure after getting measurement done and after this we would be able to further widen the east lane."

Encroachment from under the Chiraiyatand bridge - both huts and illegal hoardings - was also removed on Tuesday.

"Power tillers and some other machines were being sold under the bridge," said an official who took part in the drive. "Instruction was issued to the executive officer of the New Capital circle of Patna Municipal Corporation to seize the machines immediately. Kishor also directed to remove by August 30 huts and other encroachments that had come up under bridges. He directed to create parking space there. Parking arrangements for around 100 vehicles would be made."

Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited managing director Umesh Sao, executive officer of New Capital circle of PMC Shailesh Kumar, secretary to divisional commissioner Krityananad Singh were among the other officials who took part in the drive.