Cuttack, Dec. 26: The municipal corporation today removed the roadside encroachments at Nuapada Chhak in the city.

Amid tight security arranged by police, over 50 illegal roadside kiosks were demolished. Three platoons of police were deployed to maintain law and order during the eviction drive.

Most of the shops had come up on the government land adjacent to the office of the horticulture department. It was posing severe problems for the commuters.

'Following the Orissa High Court order, the eviction was executed at Nuapada, and over 50 kiosks and other illegal encroachments were cleared today,' said Laxmidhar Nath, secretary of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation.

Nath said the civic body had plans to set up a vending zone at the cleared space in subsequent phases. A detailed plan will shortly be chalked out in this regard.

Today's eviction drive will resolve various traffic problems at Nuapada. The chhak acts as a major link between the National Highway No. 5 and other prominent places within the city such as Press Chhak, Madhupatna, Industrial Estate and Gosala Road.

In a bid to ensure no re-encroachment on the land, the civic body officials have decided to install fences and barbed wires on the land by tomorrow.

A plan has also been made to clear the encroachments on major roads and thoroughfares. This will reduce obstruction for vehicular traffic all over the city.

Every day, hundreds of commuters depend on the busy route to travel to Bhubaneswar and other prominent areas within Cuttack.

'There is always a rush on the main road here. The civic body should also clear encroachments on the road connecting Nuapada and Press Chhak,' said Akash Pradhan, a commuter.

Pradhan said many roadside vendors had built illegal kiosks on the drains along a stretch connecting Press Chhak and the NH-5. Besides, the sanitary workers are also facing difficulties in clearing the drains, which remain clogged throughout the year.

A senior corporation official said steps were being taken for improvement of the drainage channels at Nuapada and shortly they would be cleared.

Official sources said the eviction drive would be carried out in phases till January 20 next year.