Locals protest, pelt stones on KMC team during drive

Kanpur: Chaos prevailed at city's World Bank, Sector-C in Ward 77, when a group of people pelted stones at the municipal team during a demolition drive targeting settlements constructed over the drain.
The situation became tense when protesters confronted guards and staff members. Local police and municipal security personnel contained the unrest and successfully cleared encroachments behind the KESCO substation office.
During the operation, authorities removed 10 structures, both temporary and permanent, including tin sheds, shanties, and platforms built above drains. The authorities granted remaining occupants a 24-hour period to voluntarily remove their structures. According to zonal officer CP Singh, another operation was scheduled for Friday.
Local corporator Akhilesh Bajpai reported approximately 400 unauthorised settlements behind KESCO in Sector C, obstructing drain maintenance. He detailed that the 2,000-metre drain remains uncleaned due to these illegal structures.
Additionally, settlers occupied two municipal toilets and established a cattle shed near the drain, where waste directly enters the drainage system. He indicated that proper drain maintenance would prevent waterlogging from Saket Nagar to Barra and Jarauli in the South.
On Thursday, women residents resisted the demolition team, with some resorting to stone-throwing. One woman lost consciousness during the incident. The authorities subsequently negotiated with residents, allowing them one day's grace period before departing. The anti-encroachment team included zonal engineer Zone-3 Rajesh Kumar, zonal sanitation officer Ashish Bajpai, junior engineer Siddharth Singh, and revenue inspector Neelam Saroj.