KARIMNAGAR, JUNE 08, 2026: Mounting illegal encroachments coupled with inaction by the officials concerned, including MCK and Traffic, have pushed the civic infrastructure of Karimnagar town to a breaking point, leaving pedestrians and commuters to bear the brunt of worsening chaos in the city’s congested bazaars and arterial roads. With no visible enforcement by teams of the Municipal Corporation Karimnagar, the situation in several busy market areas has deteriorated sharply.
A visit to the city’s main bazaars such as Tower Circle, Annapurna shopping complex, Ambedkar Stadium, Collectorate Road, Doctors Street, Court area, Mancherial cross roads and many localities revealed that a large number of shopkeepers have extended their establishments up to the middle of narrow roads, drastically shrinking the already limited pedestrian space. Shoppers are forced to squeeze through cramped passages, often competing with moving vehicles for the right of way.
The problem is particularly acute at the Tower Circle area, where the MCK authorities in the name of Smart City, have converted the broad roads into narrow ones, forcing the encroachers to occupy the footpaths. A tiffin centre had come up with temporary structures on the footpath opposite Sharada Printers at the busy Tower Circle area. Looks like the authorities had taken up Smart City works only to further congest the roads for obvious reasons of taking up civil works.
Similarly, at the Ambedkar stadium, the encroachers have occupied more than 50 per cent of the road on either side, causing serious problems to the road users. Then administrators had developed the Ambedkar stadium roads with a vision of a two-way lane with central lighting to avoid traffic snarls 25 years ago. But, the present rulers and officials, after the formation of Telangana state, had converted the two-way lane into a single-way lane, encouraging the encroachers to occupy the road at their whims and fancies.
The district officials, Traffic police and MCK officials travel on the road, but do not take any action. However, the MCK is more concerned about the collection of taxes without providing basic amenities to the people, and the Traffic police are also busy imposing fines on motorists and making autowallahs go scot-free in spite of violation of traffic norms with overloading, additional seats and music systems in autos.
Is this the Smart City, asks a senior citizen. On one hand, the authorities lay footpaths for the benefit of pedestrians; on the other hand, they encourage encroachment of footpaths without taking any action. The encroachers initially set up temporary structures, and later they become permanent due to the negligence of authorities. What are the authorities doing, and why turning a blind eye to the removal of encroachments, he questioned.
It is also time for the Traffic police to launch a campaign and remove all illegal encroachments in the entire Karimnagar town to ease traffic congestion and benefit pedestrians.
