Balangir, July 8: Balangir Municipality is taking steps to remove encroachments on some important roads of the town to ensure smooth traffic.

In the first phase, municipal authorities have issued notice to shopkeepers on the Daily Market Road, who have encroached upon drains and roads, and have asked them remove their encroachments. Municipal office sources said that if the shopkeepers do not remove the encroachments in a stipulated period of time, the authorities would act and remove the encroachments.

Official sources said there were 470 municipality stalls in 20 blocks of the town and in most places, the stall owners have encroached upon the drains and even on the roads. Daily Market Road is one of the busiest road in the town where several stall owners have extended their shops on the drains and the roads.

Sitaram Sarangi, a resident of the town said that traffic was so busy on Daily Market Road that it was difficult to pass through there. “Despite four-wheelers not being allowed on this road, traffic is very heavy from Gandhi library to Balangir College, which is near Daily Market. The shop owners have made unauthorised extensions of their stalls on the drains and roads making the road very narrow. It is very difficult to pass through the road even in on a bicycle,” Sarangi said.

Rabi Maharana, another local resident, alleged that the municipal authorities were turning a blind eye to the unauthorised constructions which cause great inconvenience. “I am shocked to learn that some shop-owners have even dug tube wells in front of their shops. Others have extended their shops to the drains,” he said.

The pre-school section of Saraswati Sishu Mandir is situated in the Daily Market area of the town. Some traders have even occupied the drain in front of the school. Similarly, vegetable vendors have occupied the road that leads to Balangir College, a premier education centre of the town.

Executive officer of Balangir Municipality Pradeep Kumar Gardia said that the civic body had issued a notice to the errant shop-owners to remove their encroachments.

“We have issued notice to the shop-owners who have been found to have encroached on the drains and roads and have asked them to remove the encroachment in three days,” Gardia said.

He said that municipal authorities and police together would take steps to evict the encroachments.

“We are in consultation with the police to accelerate the encroachment eviction process and soon all encroachments will be removed,” Gardia added.