Residents of Ward 56 in Manpur West, Haldwani, held a protest outside the Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Agency (USUDA) office on Tuesday over roads that have remained damaged after work on a drinking-water project.
Residents said several lanes in the area have not been rebuilt for about 2 years. They demanded that the agency restore the roads and said the damaged surfaces have made daily travel difficult for pedestrians and vehicle users.
Residents cite potholes and rain-related problems
USUDA dug up roads in the ward to lay pipelines under the drinking-water scheme. Residents said many of the roads have still not been reconstructed, leaving potholes and uneven stretches in several parts of the neighbourhood.
They said conditions become worse during rain, when water and mud collect on the roads. The resulting surface makes walking difficult, while 2-wheeler riders, older people, children and other pedestrians face a risk of accidents, according to the protesters.
Residents also said they had raised the issue several times but had not seen action. During the demonstration, they told officials that restoring roads after project work was the department’s responsibility.
The protesters warned that they would begin an indefinite sit-in and expand the agitation if repairs were not started soon. Councillor Bhagirathi Bisht, along with Alok Verma, Munni Joshi, Pushpa Joshi, Rekha Arya, Devki Arya, Neelu Negi, Rajendra Fartyal, Naveen Parihar, Tej Singh Nagarkoti, Kiran Mehra and Krishna Negi, were present.
Officials inspect the ward
After the demonstration at the agency office, USUDA officials visited the ward later in the evening to inspect the roads. They assured residents that the excavated stretches would be repaired soon.
USUDA Project Manager Gurpreet Singh Deol said all the roads would be restored soon in accordance with the applicable procedure. The assurance followed the residents’ demand for action on the long-pending roadwork.
Conclusion
Residents of Manpur West have sought the reconstruction of roads damaged during drinking-water pipeline work. USUDA officials inspected the ward and assured them that the roads would be repaired soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why did residents of Ward 56 protest?
Residents protested because several roads dug up for a drinking-water project had not been reconstructed for about 2 years.
Q. Where was the demonstration held?
Residents held the sit-in and protest outside the USUDA office in Haldwani.
Q. What problems did the damaged roads cause?
Residents said potholes, uneven surfaces, rainwater and mud made daily travel difficult and increased the risk of accidents.
Q. Who inspected the roads after the protest?
USUDA officials visited Ward 56 later in the evening to inspect the damaged roads.
Q. What did Gurupreet Singh Deol assure residents?
USUDA Project Manager Gurupreet Singh Deol said all the roads would be repaired soon according to the applicable procedure.
Q. What did residents threaten to do if repairs were delayed?
They warned that they would begin an indefinite sit-in and broaden their agitation.
