A five year old boy along with his parents came to Ratu Road Chowk to take a stroll after dinner a couple of days ago. Suddenly, the mother tripped and fell in the uncovered drain on the pavement at the Ratu road chowk. The boy who was holding her finger also got dragged into the pit. However, the father managed to pull them out but both were severely injured in the accident.
Similarly, a resident of Bariatu housing Colony Mohit Bhardawaj explaining his ordeal with the uncovered drain at Bariatu road said, “last night when I and my daughter were returning back home on our scooty from Kanke Road, on the way before Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Chowk suddenly Hyundai grand i10 car which was at 80 Km per hour speed dash away my scooty. I along with my daughter fell inside the uncovered drain. My daughters left leg got fractured and I received injury on my skull.”
These are few examples of what tax-paying citizens go through every day near Ratu road chowk and elsewhere in the city due to the nonchalant attitude of the authorities towards the problem of city residents. Trenches dug up and left uncovered and open drains are not the only accident prone zones but the unscientific speed breakers, uneven pavements and potholed roads also attribute in it.
According to traffic police due to bad roads of the city daily couple of accident related cases and around four cases of fatal incidents have been registered. Interestingly, when residents try to draw the attention of concerned department towards the problem they turn a deaf ear towards it.
Ghanshayam Kumar whose sweet shop is just next to the uncovered drain at Ratu road chowk had written end number of letters to the officials of Public Work Department (PWD) who are responsible for the construction of this road irritatingly said, “It is bullshit, from past few months I have been constantly reminding the officials of PWD about this stretch but to no avail. Unless you grease the palms of the officials your work will not be done here.”
Echoing him, another resident said, “When incidents come into light the authorities only know to play blame games, take half-hearted measures, suspend or transfer a few and bring them back when the heat is off and go back to sleep till the another incident occur. The relatives bear the agony of unfortunate victims and life goes on.” Besides, the stretches of Jalan road, next to Sai Mandir, Vishnu lane, near Nagarmal Modi Seva Sadan hospital also share the same story. Meanwhile, when the engineers of PWD were enquired over the matter they tried to shift the responsibility on their workers shoulders.
Engineer at PWD Ajay Jha said, “The construction work is in process that is why there is an open trap on the roads but it is our responsibility to construct a protection wall around it to prevent from any causality. I have orders the workers a month ago to erect a safety barrier around it.” He further added, “I will look the matter seriously and will ask the workers to get it done soon.”