Illegal street vendors evicted

KOCHI: As part of its efforts to prevent footpath encroachments by street vendors in the city, the Kochi Corporation embarked on an eviction drive on Tuesday. A special squad removed 18 illegal petty shops and more than 70 flex hoardings from the footpaths of some major roads, including MG Road, Veekshanam Road and Kathrukkadavu.“The special squad was set up for preventing encroachments on Kochi city roads. Stringent action will be taken against violators who grab public land or space. The special squad  led by Town Planning Officer will conduct weekly inspections and evict encroachments on the spot. More inspections will be conducted in the coming days,” Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany said.The special team that conducted the eviction drive on Tuesday included 20 officials from the corporation. The team was supported by the police.