LMC launches 15-day campaignagainst encroachments in city

Lucknow: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) launched a 15-day anti-encroachment drive on Monday to clear illegal occupations across the city, with a particular focus on areas under flyovers.The decision was taken during an executive committee meeting chaired by mayor Sushma Kharakwal at the LMC headquarters. The meeting, attended by committee members and senior officials, aimed to address key civic issues and formulate solutions for the city's improvement.The mayor expressed dissatisfaction over encroachments under flyovers and instructed officials to take immediate action. "Zonal officers and executive engineers will identify affected areas and ensure clearance within 15 days," she said.The mayor also stressed the need for strict enforcement, including fines through the court system, for violators. Re-encroachment on municipal lands was another concern raised during the meeting.Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava was instructed to install fences and boards on reclaimed lands within a month and submit a report.Several urban issues, including irregular water supply, need for sewer repairs, and malfunctioning summer pumps, were highlighted. To improve street vending and urban cleanliness, the EC discussed delays in setting up vending zones and instructed zonal officers to establish 100 vending units.The issue of modernisation of municipal schools was also discussed in the meeting. Officials confirmed the completion of tender process for smart screens.The mayor reprimanded officials for delays in public events, particularly the postponement of Kartik Purnima fair, stressing the need for better planning to avoid delays in future.Concerns about incomplete road restoration following water or sewer work were raised, and the EC directed officials to expedite repairs and take measures to control dust pollution.The EC also revisited the plan to deploy 20 cleaning skid steer loaders, also referred to as robots, for city sanitation, instructing officials to ensure timely procurement. Beautification projects, such as the revamp of Chowk and construction of a Kalyan Mandap, were discussed, and officials were instructed to expedite the detailed project report (DPR) for the hall.A decision was made to transfer all health department dispensaries to LMC's control so that local healthcare system can be improved. The EC also ordered the cleanup of the new municipal building site and called for better coordination among departments. Issues related to private contractors and unpaid labour at waste sorting centres were addressed and an investigation was ordered.The mayor also ordered that the municipal accounts be transferred to govt banks to enhance financial management. "An e-salary system will be implemented for transparency," she said.