Action against encroachments on Solapur-Dhule national highway
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : In a major highway safety crackdown, authorities have removed 470 permanent shops and dhabas and 255 temporary sheds and stalls from along national highways in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, with officials warning that the drive will intensify over the next fortnight. The anti-encroachment operation, launched on Sept 5 following Supreme Court directives on road safety , has so far covered stretches of the Dhule-Solapur highway (NH-52) and NH-752 on the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Paithan route. Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news.
Officials said the action was carried out after due procedure and under police protection. “The drive will be intensified along the Solapur-Dhule highway at Gandheli, Satara, Kanchanwadi, Nakshatrawadi and other stretches, and will cover Kannad and Paithan talukas also,” said district collector Vinay Gowda G C. Officials said roadside structures, illegal parking and poor visibility have been identified as key factors contributing to accidents. Officials said the campaign will continue across the district in the coming days as part of a wider effort to make highways safer and ensure smoother traffic movement.
The district administration recently constituted a District Highway Safety Task Force to tackle encroachments and improve safety along major road corridors. Stressing that the objective is road safety rather than punitive action, the collector appealed to encroachers to remove unauthorised structures voluntarily. The task force has been entrusted with removing highway encroachments, curbing illegal parking, rectifying accident-prone black spots, improving road illumination and strengthening emergency response systems for accident victims. Download the TOI App.