sector, and you can see not just the service lanes but even the prominent main roads being used for all purposes other than the passage of traffic. The problem is more pronounced in the IT sectors such as 58, 59, 62 and 63.

Cars and staff buses belonging to IT units occupy the main road that passes through Sectors 62 and 63. Two lanes on each side have been converted into parking lots. The rest of the space cannot be used since cars and buses are parked in a haphazard manner.

Some private construction companies, too, have encroached upon public roads in B Block, Sector 62, and Sector 56. Their construction material remains piled up on the road. There is scant regard for the safety of the people. Truckloads of gravel, sand, steel and all types of building material are strewn all over the road, limiting the width of the roads to hazardous levels on both the sides.

"Those who travel by cars are still better off. At least there is no risk to life. But for two-wheeler owners like me, the chances of an accident are high on these roads," says Pawan Yadav.

There has been no response to numerous pleas to the owners to remove the material from the road, say regular commuters.

"I wonder why both the NA and the Traffic Police are silent spectators to this open land grabbing. Why does no one dare to question these big private companies that have blocked the public road for their personal advantage," asks Deepak Mishra, another com muter. "We lack manpower and resources to manage traffic in the city," says Ajay Sahdev, Superintendent of Police (Traffic).

"There is so much construction activity in the city - flyovers, underpasses and roads, that most of our staff is busy in these areas only Then we have .

the big Sector 18 complex. We do make trips to the IT sectors to check road encroachment but then we do not have enough cranes to lift all these vehicles," he adds.