The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed authorities to remove encroachments on footpaths on Madurai-Melur Road in Othakadai.
The court was hearing public interest litigation petitions that sought a direction to the authorities to remove encroachments on footpaths along Madurai-Melur Road in Othakadai, take action against those who wilfully encroached on footpaths and hindered pedestrian movement, and install CCTV cameras for continuous monitoring.
A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and G. Arul Murugan observed that people were complaining of obstructions and traffic congestion on Madurai-Melur Road in Othakadai. Traders had encroached on the footpaths. Hence, the pedestrians had no option but to use the road. It not only caused inconvenience, but resulted in road accidents too.
The court took note of the fact that following its direction, the Highways Department initiated action to remove encroachments. Most of them were removed. On the issue of irregular vehicle parking along the road, police submitted that action was being taken by imposing fine. The State submitted that appropriate action would be initiated to ensure free flow of traffic.
The court directed the highways authorities to ensure that there were no encroachments. If there were any encroachments, they should be immediately removed by following the procedure. Footpaths had to be maintained for the benefit of the people. The authorities were duty-bound to ensure free flow of traffic and prevent encroachments. In the event of any violation of the direction, authorities should be held responsible, the court said.
Published – September 08, 2025 09:49 pm IST
