Will continue drive for smooth flow of traffic, GHMC tells Hyderabad High Court

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has given an undertaking to the Hyderabad High Court that it would continue its drive vigorously with the help of the traffic police so that smooth flow of traffic is maintained and footpaths are left free of encroachments for use by pedestrians.

The corporation filed a status report before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar pursuant to its direction in a taken up case. The bench took up the matter based on a letter by Brigadier Virender P. Sharma (Rtd).

It sought to declare the inaction of the authorities in maintenance of the roads properly, particularly in Hyderabad, and taking steps to construct pavements, whenever roads are widened, leaving no place for pedestrians to walk resulting in several accidents and checking illegal occupation of the existing pavements, as arbitrary and illegal.

The GHMC in its report submitted to the court said that it had undertaken removal of 17,988 encroachments on the footpaths in the city with the help of the traffic police and thereafter, 2,847 temporary encroachments were also removed from April 14, to October 6, 2014.

The corporation assured the court that it would continue this drive for smooth flow of traffic and also ensure steps that footpaths are left free of encroachments for use by pedestrians.

While recording the assurance, the bench directed that the corporation shall strive to undertake all lawful measures as and when required to keep the pavements free from all encroachments apart from maintaining the roads in the city and closed the case.