ENCROACHMENT IS A BIG PROBLEM IN WIDENING OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY

ENCROACHMENT IS A BIG PROBLEM IN WIDENING OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY

4-OCT-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------Widening work of four-lane road from Kayamnagar to Zero Mile is being hampered due to encroachment on either side of the road. The encroachers are creating hindrance and the work of widening of the National Highway has been disrupted. Encroachers have become canker on the ambitious government programme of four-lane for Bhojpur district especially Ara town but the district administration is not taking any action against the encroachers and resentment prevails among the resident of the area due to laxity in the construction of road on the part of the officials of the district administration.

Four-lane road is to be constructed from Kayamnagar in Koelwar block to Zero Mile of Ara block of Bhojpur district with a estimated cost of Rs. 98.35 crore. The construction work at other places is going on smoothly at its own pace whereas from Dhaarahara Bridge to Eastern Railway Crossing, construction work is hampered due to encroachment on either side of the road though a notice was served by the Ara Circle Officer a year ago but even after passing of time, no effect is visible on the trespassers. Even the district administration is finding it difficult to get hold of some influential encroachers and taking advantage of them, other are also reluctant to remove encroachment even after notice.

The width of the four-lane from Kayamnagar to Zero Mile is to be made 31 meters whereas due to encroachment at many places, the width of 21 meters is not being achieved. Hence what will be the importance of four-lane road. It can be understood that at present the width of the road is only 7 meters. At many places, due to dominating people, the width of the road has been reduced. In such a situation how will people get the benefit of four-lane road? When the width reduces, the residents of Ara will once again have to face the situation of traffic jam.

The length of the road is approximately 8.5 kilometer, however the length from Dharahra Bridge to Patel Bus Stand is approximately 3kilometers. And the work of widening of road is disrupted due to encroachment.

Ara Circle Officer Raj Kumar said that notice has been given to 100 people to remove encroachment from Dharahra Bride to Zero Mile. Notices were served on Rani Sati Enterprises, K K Hospital, Shivam Automobile, Bal Sudhar Grih, Upgraded Middle School, Ahirpurwa, Sri Ram Enterprises Marble and Tiles, K G N Tyre Shop, Roshan Electronics, Raju Tyre Shop, Mukesh Saree Centre, National Auto Spares, Bhojpur Bike Repairing Centre, Gayatri Complex, TSIW College, Maa Tara Transport, Hanuman Temple, Ram Neh Yadav, Shashi Bhushan Singh and others and 100 persons including Yadav Complex, Rahul Hardware, Bharat Utsav Palace, Maa Enterprises, TVS Automobile, Rohit Star Furniture House, Dev Jee Bamboo shoop, Lalti Vidya Bhawan, Siddhnath Singh, Dara Thakur from Godana Road to Dhobi Ghatawa via Zero Mile.

Besides, nine big drains are to be built before the construction of four-lane road. Again in view of the problems of common people, four additional big drains are proposed. All these drains will be built from Dharahara to Dhobi Ghatawa.

Ara Circle Officer (©O) Raj Kumar said that efforts are being made to remove the encroachment so that the construction of the road can be done at a faster pace. He added that action will be taken against those who do not remove the encroachment.