Bhopal: Parking woes; undeterred vendors encroach Vijay Stambha area

Bhopal: All attempts of the civic body to clear encroachments at Maharana Pratap Nagar have fallen flat. Parking area around Vijay Stambha at Zone1 has been encroached upon by vendors. The busy area, surrounded by a number of girls and boys hostels, has thousands of footfalls every day, however, encroachments there is leading to parking woes and subsequently to traffic chaos.

With vendors occupying the parking area, commuters here have no option but to park their vehicles on roadsides. Traffic jams has become a routine thing in the area as dozens of two and four wheelers are parked on both sides of the road. Clashes over parking, accidents have become an everyday norm.

Traffic police have fined the rule-flouters and even toed the vehicles parked on the roads, however, even this has not deterred the violators. They continue to park their vehicles on roadsides in absence of proper parking space. Bhopal Municipal Corporation has run various anti-encroachment drives in the area but to no avail. As soon as the authorities leave, the vendors are back with their belongings occupying the parking space.

Free Press talked to students living in the area to know about encroachment menace. Excerpts

Kunal Raj, Rachna Nagar resident

The encroachments have reduced the width of the road to its half creating traffic jams in the area. There is no sufficient parking space in the area and this has worsened the situation. The authorities need to look into this problem.

Pankaj Kasrade, resident Zone -1 MP Nagar area

Encroachment has been disrupting the traffic movement. Besides, traffic flow in the area is also one of the reasons of air and noise pollutions. Due to encroachments, vehicles moves at very slow pace lading to honking and burning of fuel.

Supriya Singh, a student of MCNUJC

The roads are already narrow and due to parking of vehicles on roadsides, their widths have reduced further. The girls have to be very careful while negotiating these narrow lanes. Free Press tried to contact BMC assistant divisional commissioner Malika Nigam Nagar, who is now heading anti-encroachment wing, but she didn’t respond.