As announced in the monthly municipal council meeting, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) authorities on Friday launched a drive in Dharwad to remove encroachments from pavements.
On the first day of the drive, launched from zone-1 of the corporation, several roadside shops and unauthorised structures were removed.
Under police protection, the HDMC staff razed the petty shops that had come up near the R.N. Shetty Stadium complex, Karnatak College road and circle, Saptapur circle, Jayanagar Cross and Shrinagar area. The drive was on from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Assistant Commissioner of HDMC Santosh Anishettar said notices had been served to all those who had set up the shops illegally. Only when they failed to vacate was action taken to remove them by force, he said, adding that the drive would continue and all the encroachments that reappear would be removed and the owners penalised.
Although there was some initial resistance from a few petty shop owners, the authorities went ahead with the clearance drive.
Municipal Commissioner Major Siddalingayya Hiremath has already announced that the drive will be launched in Hubballi on Saturday.
