Lahore: Two weeks later: Anti-encroachment campaign effectively ineffective

[Naveed Yaseen]

Anti-encroachment drive fails to serve purpose
By Mansoor Ahmad
AN operation launched Saturday morning outside Dharampura market to clear encroachments from both sides of the roads failed as encroachers returned as soon as the raiding team left.

Permanent structures razed during the raid were not rebuilt but other encroachers were back within an hour.

The Saturday’s raid was no different from raids routinely conducted by authorities. A truck that moves with the raiding team is used to load goods found illegally placed on the road. The seizure of goods causes panic with local government staff trying to snatch as much as they can and encroachers trying to move goods inside their shops or load them onto hand carts. Those who are targeted first are caught unawares while majority flee well in time when the raiding team begins its operation. Carts, however, are again parked along side the road soon after the raid is over.

This is wastage of time, effort and money. In order to make these raids more effective, a system should be put in place to ensure that people do not encroach on roads. In fact, there is a need to create awareness among people about the sanctity of public land. Roads are built for traffic movement and there would be traffic jams if these are encroached upon. If footpaths are occupied then pedestrians would have to walk on roads at the risk of their lives.

The Punjab government led by Mian Shahbaz Sharif successfully removed all encroachments from the main Garhi Shahu Bazaar during 1998 to 1999. It widened the main bazaar road being used by people coming from GT Road when the old Garhi Shahu Bridge was demolished to construct a wider bridge linking the Allama Iqbal Road to the GT Road. The road had now been encroached on again, blocking an alternate route to GT road.

The district governments are fully aware that no one can encroach on government land without the ‘help’ of officials deputed to ensure that state infrastructure is free from encroachments. Cart owners and shopkeepers certainly pay some price to use land for commercial purposes. Officials help encroachers as they raid infrequently and also take a lenient view when encroachments reappear after raids.

Traffic police is duty bound not to allow any fruit or vegetable vendor to use roads for their businesses. The fact that hand-driven and animal-driven carts loaded with fruit, vegetable or other items are routinely parked on roads gives credence to reports that each spot has some price. There would be no encroachments on roads if the Punjab government holds regulators accountable and takes them to task in case encroachers reappear after raids.

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