RMC, cops join hands to free choked city roads from encroachers

Ranchi: In a bid to free the state capital from regular traffic snarls, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), in association with the traffic police and local police stations, is working on a dual-pronged crackdown against encroachments and illegal parkings on roads.The civic body targeted 13 major routes, including hotspots like Kanke Road, Kutchehry Road, Bariatu, Harmu Bazar, and Doranda, during its anti-encroachment drive between May 13 and June 17. Enforcement teams have dismantled around 40 temporary structures housing shops and food stalls, while seizing over 15 pushcarts to reclaim pedestrian pavements and vehicular right-of-way.Deputy municipal commissioner Gautam Prasad Sahu said that the drive, being conducted in coordination with the traffic police and eight police stations, is scheduled to continue till June 27 but could be extended depending on the on-ground situation.A primary focus of the operation is reclaiming ‘gift deed’ land adjacent to commercial buildings. Under civic rules, developers surrender these parcels of land to the municipal body along major roads to maintain the designated road width and provide public utility space.“Land surrendered under gift deeds is strictly designated for parking. Any commercial exploitation, such as converting these spaces into godowns or food cart zones, is entirely prohibited,” Sahu said.

To prevent vendors from returning, the RMC plans to beautify the cleared areas. Proposals have been received to develop green patches across 25 such locations, adding to the present 18 green patches.Sahu said, “Junior engineers have been directed to penalise building owners and developers if encroachment is seen on the ‘gift deed’ land during the Tuesday town planning meeting.”Simultaneously, the traffic department is waging a war against wrongful parking.

Motorists continue to park on roadsides, severely choking traffic flow despite the presence of 54 allotted parking lots across the city. A total of 19,724 vehicles were penalised for illegal parking between June 1 and June 16.SP (Traffic) Rakesh Singh said, “While infrastructure challenges exist, the root of the problem is often behavioural. In 80% of the cases, the crisis stems from a lack of fundamental traffic sense. Even in areas where designated parking spaces are readily available, motorists frequently choose to park on roadsides to avoid paying parking fees or walking short distances.”The traffic department is now pairing its enforcement drive with awareness campaigns to foster better civic habits amongst residents.