AGARTALA, April 5 (TIWN): Authority whereas launches eviction drives in various parts of the capital to clear up Government owned lands, shops---the city has been witnessed occupying the footpaths by hawkers with no restriction.

In the absence of strict vigilance and regulation vendors, shop owners have been occupying the footpaths to display their products illegally.

Although the authority has launched eviction drive in the city but it seems like the shopkeepers are waiting for the authority to take a strict move.

However, failure to remove the encroachment of the vendors from the footpaths is taking heavy toll on the pedestrians.

Footpaths on Battala, Melarmath, Kamanchowmuhani, Howkars and several other roads are occupied by owners of big commercial shops who use the area for display boards, parking their vehicles and keeping their goods.

Besides this, tea vendors, fruit sellers and other hawkers routinely occupy pavements, forcing pedestrians to use the road.

However, one of the main reasons for pedestrian casualties is encroachment of footpaths by not only commercial establishments and hawkers, but also by motorists and the bi-cycle owners who park them on the footpath.

It is ironical that vendors have occupied both sides of footpath at Howkars corner. There is hardly any space to walk on footpaths for the pedestrians to walk and they have to use the road for the cro0ssing the area.

However, using the road leads to risk of accidents. Day by day numbers of accidents are also rising.

The encroachment of footpaths also creating risk of life of the pedestrians. However, despite of several complains by the pedestrians no initiatives has been taken yet to curb down the prolonged encroachment.

On the other hand, with the beginning of the Chaitra Sale, people from various parts of the state throngs in to the city making the area clumsy.