Itanagar, June 3:
The Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Wednesday commenced an eviction drive against roadside vendors and unauthorized structures along National Highway-415 in Nirjuli, following the expiration of a 10-day deadline issued last month for the removal of encroachments.
Teams from the municipal body carried out the operation in areas where vendors had continued to occupy roadside spaces despite repeated directives. The drive focused on clearing illegal meat, fruit, and vegetable stalls as well as temporary structures erected along the highway, which authorities said were obstructing public spaces and contributing to increasing traffic congestion on one of the Capital Region’s busiest road corridors.
The action follows an order issued by IMC on May 25, directing all roadside meat, vegetable, and fruit vendors operating along NH-415 within the city limits to immediately cease business activities and dismantle their structures within ten days. The notice was issued by Joint Commissioner Khoda Lasa (APCS), who stated that the vendors were operating in a haphazard manner along the highway, creating serious concerns related to traffic management, sanitation, and public safety.
According to the municipal corporation, the open sale of meat and other perishable products in unhygienic roadside conditions poses potential health risks to the public. Authorities noted that such practices could increase the likelihood of zoonotic diseases, including Anthrax, Leptospirosis, Cysticercosis, Brucellosis, and Rabies. The corporation also observed that the concentration of vendors along the highway had led to frequent traffic bottlenecks, posing inconvenience to commuters and increasing the risk of road accidents.
IMC stated that the roadside vending activities violate provisions of the Arunachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 2019, the Arunachal Pradesh Municipal Act, 2007, and the Executive Order issued by the District Magistrate of the Capital Region on September 24, 2024. The corporation maintained that the eviction drive is part of a broader effort to ensure orderly urban development, improve public hygiene, and maintain smooth vehicular movement along NH-415.
Municipal officials appealed to vendors and shop owners to cooperate with the administration, emphasizing that the exercise is being undertaken in the larger public interest. They reiterated that strict action would continue against those who fail to comply with the regulations and warned that the cost of demolition and removal of debris would be recovered from the concerned vendors and structure owners.
The eviction drive is expected to continue in phases across other stretches of the highway as IMC intensifies its efforts to remove encroachments and restore public spaces within the Capital Region.
