The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has ordered that all permanent, semi-permanent, and other encroachments be removed within a week from Pipeline Road since they obstruct free and safe movement of pedestrians and motorists.

This comes in the wake of an inspection by the agency on the stretch. The process to issue notices to encroachers, who include those who placed garden pots on the road and encroached upon it, has begun. Any failure to clear encroachments within a week will attract action from the police and courts. Survey stones will be laid in the corridor shortly in tandem with the district administration, said Rathish Kumar S., superintending engineer, KWA, in a release.

The drive to evict encroachers is being taken up prior to the laying of pipelines to the city from a 190-mld water treatment plant that has been planned.