GVMC Intensifies Crackdown on Commercial Misuse of Parking Floors in Visakhapatnam
In a decisive move to combat traffic congestion and restore public convenience, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has launched a rigorous enforcement drive under Operation Lungs 3.0. This initiative targets the illegal commercial use of stilt and cellar floors in buildings across the city, which are legally designated for vehicle parking. Chief City Planner A Prabhakar Rao has issued a stern appeal to all business owners occupying these spaces, urging them to vacate immediately to avoid further action.
Widespread Clearances Across Key Localities
The operation has already resulted in the clearance of tens of encroachments in several prominent areas. In the Madhurawada Zone, violations were addressed in Mithilapuri Colony, while the North Zone saw action in Seethammadhara and Dondaparthy. The East Zone witnessed removals at NAD Junction, Isukathota, and Darapalem. Additionally, the Gajuwaka Zone experienced clearances on Gajuwaka main road and in the Soundarya area, and the Anakapalli Zone tackled encroachments at APNR Complex on MRO office road and along Pudimadaka road.
Addressing Traffic Woes Through Dedicated Parking
Chief City Planner Rao emphasized that the misuse of parking floors has led to vehicles being haphazardly parked on roads, footpaths, and open spaces, causing significant traffic bottlenecks and public inconvenience. To mitigate this, Operation Lungs 3.0 aims to reclaim these areas exclusively for parking. With support from GVMC field-level teams and police personnel, the drive has already dismantled grills enclosing a cellar floor in Gopalapatnam's 91st Ward at Ramakrishna Nagar and cleared a two-wheeler showroom service centre, along with staff lockers and tailoring equipment, on Netaji Street.
Ongoing Efforts and Collaborative Enforcement
The operation is being conducted city-wide, involving assistant planning officers from various zones, staff from the planning department and secretariat, and police forces. Rao reiterated that all business operators currently using cellar or stilt floors for commercial purposes must vacate promptly to allow these spaces to serve their intended parking function. This phase builds on the success of Operation Lungs 2.0, which cleared nearly 3,000 encroachments from public places like footpaths and roads, now focusing specifically on illegal commercial activities in cellar floors of commercial buildings to tackle a major root cause of traffic congestion.
