Madhya Pradesh: Gulati Villagers Battle Waterlogged Streets

Manawar (Madhya Pradesh): Villagers in Gulati are angry about poor quality of drainage construction work that has left them with broken pipes and waterlogged streets. Due to monsoon rains the problem has been exacerbated.

People said that the problem started when a CC road was built on the main Gulati-Bhainsawad route without proper water drainage. As a result, water accumulated in front of houses, causing residents to file complaints on helpline 181.

MLA Hiralal Alawa earlier sanctioned ₹6.84 lakh from his fund to build PVC drains based on technical reports. The Gram Panchayat was made the construction agency for this project.

However, villagers allege that sarpanch, panchayat secretary and district engineer Mithun Sisodia gave the work to inexperienced contractors.

The pipe base was not levelled which obstructed flow of water. After installation, heavy stones were placed on top using JCB machines, causing the poor-quality pipes to burst at multiple locations.

Frustrated residents signed a joint application against the substandard work and submitted it to Manawar Janpad Panchayat CEO Manawar.

They also spoke with Dhar Janpad CEO Ankita Alawa and Dhar collector by phone to report the construction problems.

The villagers filed three complaints on helpline 181 with numbers 33078571, 33072499 and 33072898. They demanded a high-level investigation and proper reconstruction under qualified engineers.

When contacted, CEO Ankita Alawa said she was in a meeting but would send an engineer for inspection.