RAWALPINDI: Amid a massive anti-encroachment drive to clear hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic and temporary obstacles on footpaths, the district administration will now focus on beautification of areas cleared of encroachments.

Talking to Dawn, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema said that the administration along with the local police had launched a campaign to remove hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic.

“We started the campaign from Murree Road and identified five bottlenecks where traffic was congested. The survey of other areas of the city is underway and it will likely be completed by the end of next week,” he said.

He said that before launching the drive, the district administration took all the traders and residents on board.

DC says list of ‘illegal constructions’ in the works; owners, complicit officials ‘will have to answer’ for irregularities

“The people wanted to end the traffic congestion on Murree Road, Raja Bazaar, and other areas of the city and they supported the drive of the district administration,” he said.

He said that the chamber of commerce and traders assured the district administration of help in clearing the roads from obstructions.

“We do not want to create problems for the businessmen and the anti-encroachment drive will increase the flow of consumers in the bazaars,” he claimed.

The deputy commissioner said the government also asked the district administration to prepare a list of ‘illegal structures’ in the city and implement the building by-laws.

The DC claimed that the owners of the unregulated structures would have to answer for the irregularities whereas the administration would also take action against the government officials who helped these owners bypass laws.

For the beautification of the city, he said that the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) had been asked to make a plan for the beatification of Murree Road.

More than 100,000 saplings will be planted along the main roads to improve the environment and make the city beautiful. He said that under the neat and clean Punjab programme, the district administration had selected the sites for tree plantation.

As far as sanitation was concerned, Deputy Commissioner Cheema said that the Rawalpindi Municipal Waste Company was ‘working hard’ and had been asked to clean all the city roads and streets. He claimed the sanitation in Rawalpindi was much better and collecting points were being cleared on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, in a meeting, Commissioner Aamir Khattak said the anti-encroachment operation would continue in the city areas.

The meeting was informed that the teams under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Hakim Ali conducted an operation at Talwara, Raja Bazaar, and Iqbal Road on Sunday.

Apart from this, the sides of Murree Road have also been cleared of all types of temporary and permanent encroachments.

During the operation, 27 shops involved in repeated violations of anti-encroachment rules were sealed. The confiscated goods would be transferred to the warehouses outside the city, the meeting was informed.

Published in Dawn, October 21th, 2024