There were however significant gains from the recent drive: Many shops with permanent structures that had occupied a significant portion of the footpaths were removed. “It has to be a sustained effort or it will fail,” says Nataraj. M. J. Thulasiram, a long-time resident of South Mada Street, has started an online campaign asking residents to use the pavements. According to Thulasiram, South Mada Street was completely cleared after the encroachment drive but many of the shops returned on Janmashatmi, after getting permission from the local police. Mylapore Residents Welfare Association (MRWA) is working with various departments to see if the vendors could be shifted to another location.

Source: The Hindu August 18, 2017 11:36 UTC