Bhubaneswar: The civic body has inducted a dedicated vehicle equipped with a warning system into its eviction squad.

This will enable the civic enforcement squad to smoothly carry out demolition and eviction drives in the city. Christened the Ghanta Gaadi, the vehicle has a bell fitted on it to warn encroachers before it arrives and starts the demolition drive.

The special squad formed to remove encroachments from footpaths and roadsides will use the vehicle, while the civic body's deputy commissioner (enforcement), with the help of ground-level supervisors, monitor its movements.

The squad will focus on removing squatters from footpaths and cycle tracks. "We will not issue notices, but move around randomly. The footpaths and cycle tracks are not for vending and encroachers should know this," said a civic official.

Officials said similar vehicles were in use in Delhi, Calcutta and Ahmedabad. "We aim to instil fear among the encroachers. If all goes as planned, they will voluntarily remove their things before the vehicle arrives," he said.

However, several people are sceptical about its success. "The encroachers will probably move before the vehicle arrives, but there are chances that they will reappear once it leaves," said Pokhariput resident Bishesh Acharya.

Patia resident Nityam Pattnayak, however, said such vehicles will instil fear not only among the encroachers, but also the public.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said the squad will move around the city and evict encroachers from footpaths and roadsides in the first half of the day, while doing rechecks during its return in the second half. "This way, we will try to ensure that encroachers do not reappear," he said.