Drive on to make 20 city spots free of encroachment | Lucknow News
Lucknow: In a major push to ease chronic traffic congestion, the city police, in coordination with multiple civic and administrative agencies, launched a phased drive to make 20 of the city’s most congested crossings and road stretches encroachment-free.Police officials said this plan was undertaken after the Jan 1 traffic mess in the city, when over five lakh devotees visited four major temples — Hanuman Setu, Khatushyam temple, Mankameshwar temple and Hanumant Dham, generating nearly one lakh vehicle movements within a narrow urban stretch.Police said the initiative is being undertaken jointly by the Lucknow Police, traffic police, LMC, LDA, PWD and the district administration.In the first phase, enforcement action will focus on key traffic choke points, including Matiari crossing in Chinhat, Bhoothnath crossing, Kaiserbagh crossing, Lalbagh crossing and its surrounding areas, Sitapur road, Engineering College crossing, Hussainabad and Kanpur Road. These locations were identified as high-density traffic zones severely affected by roadside encroachments, illegal kiosks and unauthorised vendor stalls.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Kamlesh Dixit said sustained efforts are being made not only to clear encroachments but also to ensure long-term solutions. He said rehabilitation of street vendors and kiosk operators is being planned in coordination with civic bodies so that cleared areas are not re-encroached. Referring to last year’s encroachment removal drive in the Bhoothnath area, Dixit said that vendors returned after the operation, highlighting the need for a sustainable and permanent plan this time.The city police formally began the latest drive on Saturday, starting with action in Old Lucknow. Following strict directives from the commissioner of police on traffic management, police teams carried out an intensive operation in the Hussainabad area, removing illegal shops and unauthorised parking and transport stands that were contributing to frequent traffic jams. The area was subsequently cleared to restore smoother vehicular movement.Officials said similar enforcement action will be carried out across all identified locations in the coming days, with regular monitoring to prevent fresh encroachments.
