Unchecked encroachments on the rise in Mardan bazaars

MARDAN: The encroachers have set up illegal structures in different bazaars and squares in the city causing traffic jams, but the administration is least bothered to take action against them.

During a visit, it was observed that several shops have been built in various localities and bazaars without following the legal procedures. The encroachers have set up fruit and vegetable stalls on both sides of the roads causing inconvenience to pedestrians. The space in the squares and bazaars in Mardan city has been annexed with the alleged connivance of the officials concerned. This is creating traffic jams and causing problems for the pedestrians.

At Chalmari Road where the majority of tractors’ workshops are located, he mechanics park tractors on the road. The majority of banks and private hospital have placed heavy generators on the footpath, adding to the miseries of the people.

A resident of Mardan, Sardar Ali doing shopping at a mall on the Bank Road, said the shopkeepers have occupied the pavements and rented the space to the vendors selling various items.

Saeed Khan, another resident walking on the Shamshi Road, said the banks and private medical centres had placed heavy power generators on the footpaths. He added that majority of the private medical centres in Mardan had no parking lots and this was one of the main reasons for the traffic jams in the evening.

He pointed out that the patients and their attendants faced difficulty in reaching their destination due to the massive traffic jams caused by unchecked encroachments. The encroachments are on the rise because the encroachers are reportedly backed by influential persons and authorities concerned, he added.

Several shops have been built in the city without getting the formal approval of maps. The illegal taxi stands on the Shamshi Road are also blocking the smooth flow of traffic. “The pedestrians are facing difficulty because of stalls and pushcarts that are placed on footpaths,” complained a resident Mohammad Jamshed.

A female customer at Gajju Khan Road said that several women daily visited the market for shopping and faced a host of problems due to the encroachments. She said several illegal stalls of toys, clothes, shoes, utensils, artificial jewellery and carpets have been established on the road and in the streets.

The encroachers have virtually occupied the Stadium Road, Bank Road, Charsadda Chowk, Par Hoti Chowk, Pakistan Chowk, Shahidano Bazaar, Sarfaraz Gunj Bazaar, Shamshi Road, Gajju Khan Road and other bazaars and roundabouts in the city. The citizens asked the district administration to fulfill its duty by taking strict action against the encroachers.