The National Highways Department has given residents, roadside traders and other occupiers seven days to remove encroachments along the P. Velur bypass and adjoining major roads in Namakkal district, citing traffic congestion and accident risks.
The enforcement covers the stretch from the P. Velur National Highway to the Triangle Park junction. The action follows requests from residents and various organisations to the district administration to clear roadside spaces that were affecting movement along the corridor.
The district administration subsequently directed the highways authorities to remove the encroachments completely and improve travel safety. Highway officials had issued notices several days earlier, asking those occupying or using land along the road to clear it. Some occupants had removed their structures voluntarily by the time the latest action began.
Sivagami, a highways department inspector, said a removal operation had started under the supervision of four highway inspectors. She said residents, roadside traders and occupants in Paramathi, Pothanur and the P. Velur old bypass area must remove encroachments on their own within seven days.
The notice applies to structures and uses that obstruct the public and interfere with road movement. Sivagami said the department would remove the encroachments and take appropriate action if occupants failed to comply within the deadline.
A separate clearance operation is also under way in parts of Pothanur under the supervision of highways inspector Shankar. The report did not specify the number of properties or structures covered, the precise limits of the affected highway land, or whether alternative vending arrangements would be provided for roadside traders.
The enforcement places responsibility on the highways department to distinguish between authorised private use and occupation of the road margin while carrying out the clearance. The next stated step is the removal of structures that remain after the seven-day period, alongside further action in Pothanur and other identified stretches.
