An illegally constructed temporary structure was demolished near Kingcup School, Itanagar, recently under the supervision of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Talo Potom. The structure was built on the right of way (RoW) on the Bank Tinali-Niti Vihar road. There are several such illegal structures in the Itanagar capital region. Many of them are located beside the highway and colony and sector roads. Over the years, successive governments have failed to take any concrete step against people constructing illegal structures. This has emboldened them to carry out construction activities without any fear.
However, now that the government of India has decided to develop Itanagar under the smart city project, efforts must be made to clean up the mess. The situation is still manageable. But there is a need for strong political will to initiate action against people who have constructed illegal structures. On their part, the citizens also should not forget their duty, which is to follow the law. The RoW has been notified and any kind of construction inside it is deemed illegal. Therefore, the citizens who are undertaking construction inside RoW knowingly should be booked under the law. A survey should be conducted and, based on the report, a drive to demolish all illegal structures should be launched. No one should be spared, no matter how powerful or influential they are. Such kind of uniform action will give confidence to every citizen.