ROADS BEGIN TO BREATHE AS BULLDOZERS ROAR

ROADS BEGIN TO BREATHE AS BULLDOZERS ROAR

14-DEC-ENG 16

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------A different atmosphere prevails in Shahpur Nagar Panchayat these days! Sunday marked the third day of the anti-encroachment drive here, and the administration seemed determined to free Shahpur's roads from encroachments this time. One encroachment after another was removed, and the roads began to breathe freely.

Early Sunday morning, the bulldozer arrived on Banahi Road with a roar. From Thana Mod to the Shiva Temple, all the encroachments on the eastern side of the road were cleared. Then, the other side of the road, from the Shiva Temple to the front of the Referral Hospital, also came under the bulldozer's purview. Tin sheds, stalls, advertising boards in front of shops and houses, even the stairs and walls that people had built, or the earth they had piled up in front of their houses – everything was razed to the ground by the bulldozer in a matter of moments.

Now, where such large-scale demolition takes place, some arguments are bound to happen. And that's exactly what happened. Minor altercations were witnessed between the officials and the local people at several places. People were trying to save their belongings, while the administration was busy with its work. Amidst these minor skirmishes, the campaign continued uninterrupted.

This is just the beginning; the administration has made it clear that the anti-encroachment drive is not going to stop anytime soon. The work will resume from where it left off on Banahi Road. And yes, after that, the bulldozer will also move to the Shahpur-Bharauli Road. All the encroachments on both sides of the road, from the Durga Temple to near the bridge, are also slated for removal.

The Executive Officer of the Nagar Panchayat, Nishat Alam, along with JE Jai Nandan Chaudhary and all the officers and employees of the Nagar Panchayat, were present throughout the entire campaign. They stated that their goal is to make Shahpur clean and free from encroachments. So, let's see how long the streets of Shahpur can truly "breathe" freely and how much of a transformation the town undergoes. Hopefully, this campaign will give Shahpur a new identity.