Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The ongoing sewer line work under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme has triggered widespread inconvenience across the city, with residents grappling with dug-up roads, dust pollution, and daily commuting challenges.
For the past two to two-and-a-half hours, several major roads and internal lanes have remained excavated, severely affecting normal life.
Areas such as MP Nagar, Gautam Nagar, Rachna Nagar, Link Road-1, and Karond are among the worst affected. Despite the completion of pipeline laying in many stretches, restoration work has been largely neglected. Trenches are being filled with loose soil instead of proper asphalt resurfacing, leaving roads uneven and unsafe.
Daily commuters said that dust clouds not only cause breathing difficulties but are also contributing to road accidents by reducing visibility. The situation becomes even more hazardous at night, as many dug-up stretches lack barricades, reflectors, or warning signs. The lack of timely repairs has sparked growing frustration among citizens, who warn that continued negligence could lead to public protests.
Traffic chaos and rising safety concerns
The poor condition of roads has significantly reduced available driving space, making it difficult even for two-wheelers to pass. In busy commercial hubs like MP Nagar (zones one and two), traffic congestion has worsened, while dust from constant vehicular movement has become a serious health concern.
Negligence after excavation work
Ashish Rai, a restaurant owner in the MP Nagar area, alleged that contractors are abandoning sites after laying pipelines, leaving behind debris and mounds of excavated soil. In several areas, roads have effectively become non-motorable, with commuters facing daily risks of falls and accidents.
Additional municipal commissioner Tanmay Vashishth Sharma said that strict instructions were issued to contractors to expedite road repairs. Sharma confirmed that penalties were being imposed on agencies responsible for delays particularly in MP Nagar.
