KORAPUT: To ensure hassle-free movement of vehicles, including ambulances, to the SLN Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH), the Koraput district administration has decided to widen four major roads that connect the medical college.In this connection, the administration on Monday launched an eviction drive on the four identified roads. The four roads connect to the SLNMCH hospital from four corners of the town. Illegal encroachments have mushroomed on the roads in past few years resulting in frequent accidents and road jams. “Hence, it has been decided to make the roads free from encroachment and widen them,” said collector (Koraput) K Sudarshan Chakravarthy.According to the collector, the encroachers were given sufficient time to vacate the areas. While some of them have removed their establishments from the encroached areas on their own, others have not done that and their structures are being demolished, he said.An official said most of the encroachments were found to be occurring due to illegal constructions and faulty road engineering. Most of encroachers are roadside eateries and paan shops.A works department official said once the roads are made free from encroachments then they can be widened up to 33 feet each.“Over Rs 8 crore will be spent for widening of the four roads, involving seven km. Tenders for the work have been finalised and soon work will start,” said Basant Kumar Das, assistant executive engineer, works department, Koraput.According to the officer, at some places the existing road is so narrow that even two four-wheelers can’t cross it at a time.“Once the roads are widened there will be free flow of traffic and patients will not face problem in reaching the hospital,” Das said.

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