The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has imposed a ban on stocking construction materials on roadside or footpaths between 6am and 10pm to minimise public inconvenience. Any violation of this order may attract a hefty fine.
On Wednesday, the GMC imposed a penalty of Rs 7,000 and Rs 4,000 on two construction material dealers located on Kanakalata road in the Hengrabari area of the city.
GMC commissioner MN Dahal said, “Traffic congestion is a major issue in the city. All the departments concerned are doing their best to reduce it. People can dump building materials after 10pm and must clear the area before 6am as traffic movement remains low during that time. The city slowly gets congested after 6am and traffic remains heavy throughout the day.” The GMC has also opened a dedicated WhatsApp number for the citizens to report any violation of the ban order.
It is pertinent to mention that traffic snarls have worsened across the city because of the ongoing constructions of several projects, including flyovers and national highway widening projects. Apart from piling up construction materials on the roadside or pavements, street vending and haphazard parking of vehicles are other factors that cause traffic congestion and also obstruct the movement of pedestrians.
Dahal said citizens can use tin sheets or similar things to stock construction materials within the permitted time period so that the residues of these materials do not flow into drains.
“Such residues cause siltation if they get into the drains and de-siltation is a tedious and expensive process. If people cooperate with GMC, we will be able to achieve many goals, including minimising floods in the city,” he added. He reiterated the need to do away with the practice of dumping construction waste on the road. Talking about the penalty, he said the GMC has not imposed heavy fines yet in a bid to give people more time to become fully aware about the new rules.
