Satara civic body gives Khan Aali traders seven days to clear encroachments

With crowds swelling in Satara's markets during the festival season and traffic congestion worsening, the Satara Municipal Council has begun preparing action against encroachments on the road in the Khan Aali area.

The road, known as Sant Namdev Maharaj Path, has an original width of nine metres. A measurement on the ground showed that at some places only 7.5 to 8.5 metres of the road is available. The road boundary has therefore been marked and the traders concerned have been given seven days to remove the encroachments. Ashok Shedge, chairman of the Planning and Development Committee, has warned that if the encroachments remain after the deadline, the civic body will act as per the rules.

Khan Aali is an important market area of the city. The civic body's inspection found iron signboards put up in front of shops in the area. It also found that steps and ledges extending into the road limits were reducing the space available for traffic. Instead of stopping at verbal instructions, the road was therefore physically measured and the exact limit of the encroachments fixed.

The process is being carried out by the council's city development department. Mr Shedge visited the site and inspected it. He took details of the measurement from the officials and employees concerned and reviewed the work of removing the encroachments. The civic body's position is that if traders remove the encroachments themselves, unnecessary disputes can be avoided and the road can be cleared for traffic.

During these seven days, the signboards, steps, ledges and other obstructions falling within the road limits are expected to be removed by those concerned. If this is not done, the civic body will have to take action on the ground. All eyes are now on how much the traders respond to the notice and what stand the administration takes after the deadline.

Meanwhile, plans are also under way to remove obstructions on roads around Bartakke Chowk and Shahu Chowk to make more space available for traffic. Whether the action in Khan Aali will be the start of a wider campaign to clear the city's roads will become clear from the steps taken in the coming days.

Explaining the purpose of the drive, Ashok Shedge said, "The original width of Sant Namdev Maharaj Path is nine metres. The road limit has been fixed after measuring it on the ground. Traders should themselves remove the iron signboards, steps, ledges and other encroachments that have come within the road limit, within seven days. The purpose of this drive is that citizens should not face obstruction to traffic and the road can be used smoothly. If the encroachments are not removed within the deadline, the municipal council will act as per the rules."