PESHAWAR: During a major crackdown on encroachments, the district administration on Wednesday dismantled the illegal cemented portion of around 830 shops in parts of Peshawar and retrieved the millions of rupees worth of government land.

In the second phase of the anti-encroachment drive, it was observed that the maximum of illegal structures, comprising shops, markets were located on Bara Road, Custom Chowk, Ittehad Colony, Bala Mani, Dalazak Road were demolished through heavy machinery under tight security.

According to a statement issued here, Peshawar deputy commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud supervised the several anti-encroachment teams, which were led by additional commissioner Irshad Sudheer, assistant commissioner Altaf Shaikh, additional assistant commissioner Sohail Aziz and Imran Khan, Abdul Nabi and Bashir Ahmed.

Officials of the relevant departments including irrigation, police and local government were also present on the occasion.

It said the illegal structures also included many residential quarters, which were built illegally and caused serious hurdles to the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.

Of the 830 structures, some 180 were demolished in limits of Bana Mani police station to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the busy commercial and residential areas.

Besides, the administration also removed 220 illegal structures in the areas of Afghan Colony and Faqirabad.

DC Riaz Khan Mehsud told Dawn that it was a historic crackdown.

He said several notices were served on all land grabbers and owners of illegal buildings to vacate the government’s land and remove illegal structures by themselves, but to no avail.

The DC said the crackdown on encroachments was part of the provincial government’s beautification plan to overcome civic issues and restore past beauty of the historically important city.

He said the action had been taken across the board to overcome the problems facing citizens for decades.

Mr. Mehsud said another drive against cemented structures built on irrigation canals was in progress and that over 800 such structures had been removed during the last few days.

He said most of the illegal structures had been constructed on the Kabul River Canal, where cleanliness had become almost impossible and as a result, the overflowed water used to enter houses and shops in slum areas of the city.

The DC said it was the duty of the citizens to extend full cooperation to the administration in expanding all roads and bazaars as per the original plan in order to facilitate them.

He said the government was fully committed to restoring the past glory of Peshawar.

Mr. Mehsud said another round of the anti-encroachment drive would be initiated against the people, who had opened toilets by the canals of clean water.

He said the people should avoid obstructing the flow of canal water to ensure cleanliness in the city.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2016