Hussain Zalpori 

Sumbal, Marchh 17 (KNS): The authorities on Wednesday demolished illegal structures on the roads and removed several illegal stairs and tin roofs along the roadsides in Sumbal area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district. 

According to the KNS shopkeepers in Sumbal town had set up illegal encroachments on the roads outside their shops, blocking the flow of vehicles. 

In a joint anti-encroachment drive by Municipal Committee along with the Sumbal police and the Revenue Department, they removed the illegally erected encroachments, sheds and several tin roofs from Tehsil Headquarters to the Sumbal Bridge and made the road passable for the general public.

While talking to KNS Jahangir Ahmed, chairperson of the Municipal Committee Sumbal said the demolition operations were carried out after an investigation.  

He said that despite repeated warnings, the roadside encroachments were not removed, and action was taken without any discrimination. 

He also warned that action would be taken every week against the encroachments. “In the next operation, if any encroachments were found, it would be dealt with severely,” he cautioned.

He urged the ward officers to keep an eye on their respective areas and wherever construction work is going on, ask their permission and see how the construction is going on. 

He further said that traffic would be severely affected due to improper parking of small and big vehicles, motorbikes, vegetable vendors and inexperienced load carrier drivers.

He said that the business community should not allow any wrong parking in front of their shops and should not allow any vegetable vendors to keep stalls.

“If it is found in the next operation, these shopkeepers should also be fined," he said. (KNS)