Jamshedpur : The nine-decade old landmark Aam Bagan in the heart of city at Sakchi is again facing the brunt on encroachment.
Instead, the four-acre ground used as a play ground and for hosting socio-cultural and religious function has fallen victim to rampant encroachment and a source of pollution due to waste littered on it.
Motor garages have once again started coming on the nine-decade old landmark Aambagan ground in Sakchi, barely few months after the ground was freed of encroachers after a massive drive undertaken jointly by Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco and district administration.
Jusco with help of the district administration had undertaken anti-encroachment drive on the four-acre Aambagan ground on October 13 and pulled down as many as 30 temporary kiosks and garages near the Aambagan Masjid end in southern portion of the ground using JCB excavators.
The ground hemmed in by Aam Bagan Masjid on its southern side and Rajasthan Vidya Mandir (a state owned high school) on its northern side, The Bengal Club (socio-cultural organization) on its western side is dotted by primarily residential areas barring the commercial establishment on the Thakur Bari Road.
Recently a joint team of East Singhbhum district administration and Jusco�conducted an on-the-spot survey of the ground and gave orders to carry out anti-encroachment drive at the ground and construct boundary wall across the ground to prevent violation.
The increasing encroachment on the Government and Tata Steel lease land area particularly on busy market areas has become a matter of concern. Even the roads are squeezing day by day because of encroachments thus making difficult to drive the vehicles.
Sources in Jusco revealed that opposition by local people over erection of boundary wall near mosque has put a brake to their revival plan.
�We have carried a survey of the site and find that lack of a boundary wall made the grounds a free-for-all for shopkeepers, hotels and contractors to through wastes, leftover food.
We are facing opposition from a local mosque committee for construction of boundary walls on southern side as they feel it would create obstacle in their prayers. Since boundary wall has not been fully constructed vehicles repairing and parking have started again,� said sources.
Encroachments in the city are omnipresent and thriving, much to the discomfort of the ordinary citizen.
Be it the road, parks, pavements, markets or public land taken over in the name of religion, the city is known for the encroachments which blot the urban landscape.
