Two-wheelers parked at a no-parking zone in Berhampur. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, March 23: Do you have trouble navigating a road speckled with parked vehicles? The culprits stand tall. They are owners of the high-rise commercial buildings that have no basement parking facilities. Many basement parking lots in these buildings have been converted into shops and are used for other purposes with profit in mind.

Nidan Diagnostic, a reputed centre of Silk City situated right in front of the office of the superintendent of police (SP) Berhampur near NH-217, is a case in point. The owners of Nidan have opened a pathology laboratory in the basement parking area, but a large board that says “parking” still hangs in it.

The attendants of patients who come to Nidan for diagnostic study are forced to park their vehicles in front of the building, obstructing traffic on NH-217.

Kama’s Inn situated near the crowded Tata Benz Square rents out its basement parking lots to private parties for conducting marriage, thread or other ceremonies frequently. Vehicles that might have been parked in the basement are instead parked on the roadside.

“We often collect fines from vehicle owners for obstructing the road in front of many commercial buildings including Nidan and Kama’s Inn. Interestingly, nobody has yet complained against the owners of these commercial buildings nor demanded to avail the facilities of basement parking,” said Subash Chandra Acharya, DSP Berhampur.

Parking outside commercial buildings has definitely resulted in traffic congestion and is a headache for the police, he said.

The Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) approves basement parking of commercial buildings and it must look into how rules can be implemented, Acharya added.

Kailash Rana, chairman of the BDA, who assumed charge recently, however, said that stringent action must be taken against the culprits.

“I have convened a meeting of the BDA on April 6. At the meeting, the Ganjam collector, who is also the ex-officio vice-chairman of the BDA, and other senior officers will discuss the issue. We will chalk out a strategy about what action should be taken against those who flout the regulations,” he said.