Baripada:The problem of land encroachment continues to remain a major issue in Baripada town. Although the Baripada Municipality has been conducting eviction drives and taking various measures from time to time to remove encroachments, there are allegations that in some places, encroachers are returning to the same locations and resuming their business activities.
The movement of the general public is also being affected as shops, pushcarts and other commercial activities are being carried out on portions of roadsides, footpaths and land meant for public use. As a result, roads in busy areas are becoming narrower, leading to increasing traffic problems.
Despite eviction drives conducted by the Baripada Municipality to remove encroachments, concerns have been raised over the reoccupation of the same places after eviction. At Karat Basa near Palbani in Baripada, land had reportedly been identified and acquired for the construction of a new bus stand. Encroachers occupying government land near Karat Basa had also been evicted.
However, the same land is reportedly being encroached upon again, and in some places, illegal construction of houses is also being undertaken. This has led to criticism among intellectuals and the general public over the alleged lack of effective monitoring by the Baripada Municipality and the administration.
Regular monitoring of such areas is therefore considered necessary. Residents say that merely carrying out eviction drives is not sufficient; regular inspections and legal action are essential to prevent encroachments from recurring at places where they have already been removed.
There is a growing demand from the public for more regular monitoring and effective measures by the Baripada Municipality to protect government and public land in the town and keep roads and footpaths free from encroachment.
Removing encroachments and preventing their recurrence is now a major challenge for Baripada town. Residents therefore expect the Baripada Municipality to maintain regular surveillance over the areas cleared of encroachments so that such encroachments do not return.
