Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police vehicles, including Dial-112, will soon be able to reach crime spots in narrow lanes and streets of the city on time without any obstruction, following a joint decision taken by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and police officials in a recent meeting.
Police will help remove illegal encroachments in narrow streets, densely populated areas and even slums. The move aims to ensure quicker police response during incidents of arson and other crimes, especially in areas where illegal encroachments and roadside obstructions have made access difficult for police vehicles, fire tenders and ambulances.
Police officials said that several crime-prone areas and arson hotspots had narrow streets clogged with illegal constructions, old vehicles, scrap material and illegally parked vehicles which helped miscreants escape before the police arrived.
As part of the move, police are identifying arson and crime hotspots, especially in densely populated and slum areas where frequent incidents are reported but response time is affected due to blocked routes on account of illegal encroachments.
To note, Dial-112 and local cops have often complained that illegal encroachments and wrongly parked vehicles restrict movement of police and fire vehicles and other emergency services. In many places, scrap yards and illegal constructions have reduced the space which makes it difficult for police to reach the crime spot on time.
Police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said that several such narrow streets with illegal encroachments had already been identified. He added that a joint drive with the BMC would be launched soon to remove these encroachments, ensuring smooth movement of police and emergency vehicles and improving overall law-and-order response.
Hotspots of encroachments
Many places from where complaints of illegal encroachments in streets are frequently reported include Aishbagh, Ashoka Garden, Shahjahanabad, Jahangirabad, Mangalwara, Kotwali, Nishatpura and other congested localities and slums in TT Nagar and some other areas. Incidents of arson, vandalism and clashes were also reported from these areas recently.
