Mysuru: Continuing their drive to make footpaths pedestrian-friendly, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) officials conducted special footpath encroachment clearance drives on Chamaraja Double Road and Irwin Road in city yesterday.

Armed with an earth excavating machine, pickaxe and other equipment, the MCC Zone-1 officials and staff cleared encroachments on both sides of Chamaraja Double Road from Maharaja Sanskrit College Circle till Ramaswamy Circle. Name boards of business establishments which were placed on the footpaths and a few permanent stands which were obstructing free movement of pedestrians were cleared.

During the drive, a few automobile spare parts shop owners were also found encroaching footpath to promote their business, the MCC officials warned the shop owners that they would seize their stands and name boards if they find them again on the footpaths.

Some shop owners near Ramaswamy Circle, who opposed the drive, told MCC officials that they were not causing any inconvenience to public and challenged the officials to clear encroachments on Sayyaji Rao Road.

Also, staff and owners of several business establishments on this busy road had parked their vehicles on the footpath obstructing the movement of public; the MCC officials cleared them all and warned against parking vehicles on footpaths.

Meanwhile, MCC Zone-6 officials and staff conducted footpath encroachment clearance drive on Irwin Road.

The officials had earlier made public announcement asking shop owners not to encroach footpaths and clear any encroachments made by them voluntarily.

The MCC officials and staff then cleared the encroachments on both sides of the footpaths from Suburban Bus Stand till Government Ayurveda College and Hospital Circle during which temporary sheds and other items, which had encroached footpaths, were removed.

The officials warned shopkeepers of imposing hefty fines if they are again found encroaching footpaths again.