: The Public Works Department (PWD) has started dismantling sheds and shops that had encroached upon roadside ‘puramboke’ (public land) in Munnar.
An official of the PWD said on Saturday that earlier eviction drives had not fully succeeded in achieving the desired results. Sheds and shops were re-erected in the same place after a few days of the eviction drive. To avoid this, all unauthorised temporary sheds by the roadside will be evicted. Notice has been issued to vacate the sheds.
The work will be completed in a few days, said the official and added that if the sheds are not voluntarily vacated, they would be demolished and cases slapped on the encroachers. There have been several accidents on account of roadside encroachments.
Large-scale roadside encroachments have been found at Ancham Mile, the entrance point to Rajamala, in front of the KFDC garden at Mattupetty, at Ecopoint and at Ettam Mile.
The National Highways Authority of India has not taken any measures to evict the encroachers on the Kochi-Dhanuskodi National Highway, which passes through Munnar town.
Large encroachments have been found in areas between Munnar town and Old Munnar.
