The Hindu : PWD plans drive to remove encroachments

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 29, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

PWD plans drive to remove encroachments

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 28 . The Public Works Department has chalked out plans to carry out a State-wide drive to remove encroachments on roads and pavements.

The drive will be carried out in the coming months on all major roads, including the National Highway stretches passing through the State, the PWD Chief Engineer (Roads and Bridges), K. Joseph Mathew, told The Hindu .

An `Encroachment Drive Week' will also be observed by the department as part of the proposed crackdown being undertaken on the directive of the Public Works Minister, M.K. Muneer.

Although executive engineers of the Public Works Department had been given powers to initiate action against encroachments and unauthorised hoardings under the Highway Protection Act, they had not been able to check the roadside encroachments, which proved a major impediment to motorists on many narrow roads in the State.

Under the proposed drive, all unauthorised hoardings, welcome arches and banners erected by various social, cultural, religious organisations, political parties and others that are found to distract the attention of motorists along curves, busy junctions and accident-prone areas would be removed.

The PWD is also planning to launch a campaign through the media to create an awareness on the need to prevent encroachments.

Mr. Mathew said cable and wire endings left protruding on roads and busy junctions by utility service providers such as the BSNL and KSEB posed another major problem to the motorists and road users.

The PWD is also trying to inculcate a culture that expresses itself against all encroachments and strives to protect the roads.

A recent study carried out by the PWD on the Main Central Road extending from Thiruvananthapuram to Kottayam found that there were several bottlenecks on the stretch. Hoardings that distract attention of drivers, protruding utilities, bus stops on carriageway and junctions, narrow bridges, absence of alternative routes in towns, sharp curves and poor vehicle comfort were found to be the major impediments.

The average carriageway of the 150-km route from the capital to Kottayam had been found to be an average of seven metres.

The net time taken for covering the distance by the inspection team was 183 minutes and the average speed was 50 km per hour.

The maximum speed attained in the stretch was 90 km per hour.

The distance covered in intermediate towns was 6.9 km and the time taken to cover this distance was 22 minutes. The speed attained in the towns was 18.8 km per hour.

While the traffic density from Thiruvananthapuram up to Chengannur was found to be 5,725 passenger car units, it was 11,973 passenger car units in the Chengannur-Kottayam stretch.

The Public Works Department has suggested a host of improvements such as shifting utilities to safer zones, restriction of roadside activities, sealed shoulders and footpaths and effective drainage and outlets.

Relocating bus-stands, industrial and commercial complexes away from highways and bypasses at Kottarakara, Pandalam and Chenganoor has been mooted.

Mr. Mathew said many of the improvements suggested have been taken up under the road development being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank .

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