Encroachments reduce NH-1 by 14 m in Panipat

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Panipat, August 3

Encroachments on the National Highway-1 in Panipat have reduced the width of the GT road by 14 m, resulting in frequent traffic jams.

The encroachments came to fore today during a demarcation by L&T Panipat Elevated Corridor Limited (L&T PECL), a company that had constructed around 10-km-long expressway here in 2008. The company has been looking after the maintenance and operational work of the flyover since then.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had directed L&T to demarcate the NH-1 following a complaint by the Bar Association, Panipat, to the district administration and another complaint to the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the encroachments.

The company demarcated 3-km area under the flyover today, while the remaining 7 km will be completed in a few days. “During demarcation, the company found encroachments on a large scale,” said SK Jha, route operation manager, L&T.

“As per the NHAI record, the width of the GT Road is 60 meter. It has been reduced by 1 to 14 meters at several places in Panipat city,” he said, adding the company would file a report to the NHAI and it would take further action.

An anti-encroachment drive, however, will lead give a hard time to the administration as several popular establishments have come up on the road. Residents said lack of political will would disrupt the drive.

Amit Rathi, member of the Bar Association, said: “Encroachments on the GT road have been hampering the smooth flow of traffic. Nobody was concerned about it for a long time.”

He urged the NHAI to take a stringent action against encroachers. “Panipat has lagged behind in the race for Smart City because of encroachments.”

Rathi added if the administration failed to remove encroachments, the Bar Association would move the High Court.