Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The locals in the city are forces to travel on dark road due to the tussle between the Ujjain Muniicpal Corporation and Public Works department.
Everyday scores of people risk their lives while using these roads. Sixty two streetlights on road connecting Indore Road to Nagjhiri Square of Devas Road are not switched on. The road is over a kilometre-long and the arbitrarily switched off street light pose trouble to the commuters.
The condition of the road from Engineering College to Triveni temple on Indore Road is no different. There is heavy traffic on this road but 33 streetlights of the road are not functional.
The condition from Triveni to Meghdoot Garden is the worst as over 40 streetlights remain non functional here.
Darkness engulfs Hariphatak Railway Overbridge after sunset in Ujjain on Sunday |
The commuters here have on the headlights of the vehicles to rely on while using the road. On the road from Harifatak overbridge to Jamidonj Shanti Palace 32 streetlights are broken.
Same is the condition of the road connecting Maxi Road to Agar Road. All the lights of the entire street are off. This area connects two industrial areas and witnesses heavy traffic of heavy vehicles. Similarly all the lights on the Vikramnagar Overbridge are non functional. People are forced to travel in the dark.
Shanti Palace Chouraha under the grip of darkness in Ujjain on Sunday. |
When the matter was raised with the authorities they preferred to shift the blame on other department. When asked the officials of the PWD and the municipal department blamed the other for the darkness that engulfs the roads of the city.
One municipal officer, seeking anonymity said, the road was built by the PWD and they have installed the streetlights, so why should we maintain it.
Secondly, he argued that the process of handover has to be completed before maintenance, for this the PWD has to deposit Rs 1.50 crore with the UMC. Unless they do not deposit the amount the UMC cannot take up the maintenance work, he added.
Indore Road bears darkness. |
On the other hand, the PWD officials out rightly denied their responsibility. SDO JR Arya said, when the municipal corporation is paying the bill for the streetlights on the roads, it is its responsibility to maintain it as well. There is no question of handover in this case, he added.
A commuter who frequent these roads said that so long as the authorities continue to bungle rather than resolve the stalemate, the taxpayers will be forced to use these dark roads- counting on only an invisible entity for their safety- God .
