Campaign targets clearing cellar parking, ease parking flow

Visakhapatnam: As traffic congestion continues to swell across the city, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) decided to step up its encroachment-free drive through ‘Operation LUNGS 3.0’. After clearing footpaths and roadside vendors encroaching most part of the roads, the civic body officials have decided to shed the spotlight on illegal cellar encroachments in commercial units and buildings.

Until now, the civic authorities largely focused on clearing footpath encroachments and regulating small traders operating along the busy roads.

However, recognising that the misuse of cellars has emerged as a major contributor to parking chaos, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg has ordered a special enforcement drive under the banner of ‘Operation Lungs 3.0’.

Acting swiftly on public complaints that cellar encroachments were worsening traffic bottlenecks, town planning officials launched the drive. As part of it, unauthorised structures from cellars, meant exclusively for vehicle parking, are being removed.

The civic chief made it clear that cellars are officially designated zones meant for parking purposes and using them commercially would not be tolerated.

“As people continue to face severe parking challenges for a long time, commercial building owners should volunteer to clear the encroachments in the cellars by themselves,” opined the GVMC Commissioner.

As part of the operation, shutters and walls were dismantled from cellar portions of commercial buildings in key locations, including Dabagardens, MVP Colony Sector-1, Butchirajupalem Main Road, and shopping complexes along Gajuwaka Main Road.

The operation was carried out under the leadership of City Central Police (CCP) A Prabhakar Rao, who confirmed that the drive to reclaim cellar parking spaces will continue in the coming days. Even as officials acknowledge that similar attempts were made in the past by previous municipal and police commissioners, sustained political pressure often forced such initiatives to be discontinued midway.

With over 90 percent of commercial buildings in Visakhapatnam lacking adequate parking facilities, cellar spaces have increasingly been converted into shops and rented out for hefty profits which directly impacts road safety and restricts traffic movement.

Even now, sources in the administration wing admit that resistance is expected, particularly from influential business owners and political intermediaries.

However, GVMC officials emphasise that a fair and uniform approach is essential to deal with the challenge. Meanwhile, selective enforcement targeting smaller establishments while sparing large commercial units is likely to attract strong public criticism. To ensure a lasting solution to the city’s parking woes, GVMC and the city police have resolved to continue ‘Operation Lungs 3.0’ as a joint, sustained effort.

Officials stress that resisting undue pressure and maintaining consistency in enforcement will be key to restoring order on the city’s roads and improving the overall urban environment.