he district administration has initiated an anti-encroachment drive on the instructions of the provincial government. After the drive ends, the administration will undertake beautification, mainly targeting roads and greenbelts.

The anti-encroachment drive was launched a month ago to clear the roads for vehicles and footpaths for pedestrians. Some encroachments have been removed from the roads and footpaths around various markets and commercial areas.

“Every day, we are clearing some bazaars, markets, roads and commercial areas,” Assistant Commissioner Hakim Khan tells The News on Sunday. “This is for the commuters and also for the shoppers. Traffic flow is smoother now,” he says.

“It is really great to see the encroachments go. It gives us more space to move around and explore shops,” Samina Akhtar, a customer in Commercial Market, says, adding, “I really could not help but smile after seeing the roads open up,” she adds.

“But I also feel that the government must give a substitute plan to these vendors and stall-holders.They are here to make a living. Safe spots should be designated for them. The administration must think for them given the economic crisis where small businesses are dying,” said Akhtar.

Another commuter, IftikharMirza, asked how the improvement would be sustained. “Too often, these measures are temporary relief to impress people. Come after some weeks and you’ll see the same old situation in terms of encroachments,” he said.

“I also feel that the government must give a substitute plan to these vendors and stall-holders. They are here to make a living. Safe spots should be designated for them. The administration must think for them given the economic crisis where small businesses are dying.”

“We will not allow these people to encroach on the land again,” the city administrator says. “The building inspectors of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation will take action in case of any encroachment in the coming days,” he says.

The administration is also trying to enforce a uniform pattern of shops and markets to make it easy for parking, shoppers and commuters. This will follow a plantation and beautification drive.

One purpose of the anti-encroachment drive is to remove bottlenecks where traffic used to be stuck for long durations on Murree Road, the main artery of the city which is hugely commercial and connects the city to Islamabad.

Parks and Horticulture Authority is working on a plan for the beautification of Murree Road. It plans to place over 100,000 saplings to make the environment better and limit pollution.

Before the anti-encroachment campaign started, the main markets and commercial areas of the city were choked with encroachments. Not a single road of the city was spared from these encroachments consisting of vendor carts, stalls and the extra space occupied by the shops to display their merchandise , mainly on Murree Road and Raja Bazaar. Even residential areas were not spared.

“Here’s to hoping that this campaign will sustain and make the life of residents, commuters and drivers easy,” Muhammad Akhtar another resident of the city, says.

The writer is a staff member. He can be reached at vaqargillani@gmail.com