NILADRI VIHAR STRUGGLE AROUND A BRIDGE

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The approach to Niladri Vihar is from Jaydev Vihar on the Chennai-Kolkata highway, and along the road that heads to Nandankanan Zoo. A diversion to the left takes one to a bridge, that’s at the centre of a serious problem the residents are faced with. The upscale area is well-populated, and there are a string of institutions, as also notably the Buddha Jayanti Park. A huge residential space, it also sees frenetic real estate activity and new mansions are coming up. None of these, however, enthuses the civic authorities to pay some much-needed attention to the area. It remains as one of the most-neglected areas in the capital. The area comes under Ward 8. The rainy season adds to the residents’ problems. They have to put up with the water-logging in Niladri Vihar every time it rains. So was the case with this Thursday too, though rain was of a minor scale. The civic authorities are least bothered about attending to complaints of water-logging from the residents. The root of the water-logging problem lies around a small bridge that connects Niladri Vihar to the city. It’s a few meters away from the Jaydev Vihar-Nandankanan Road, and this is the only port of entry to the habitation. Thousands of people cross the bridge every day on their way for work, or for their personal requirements, and back home from work. When it rains
heavily, there is serious problem of water-logging, and it’s simply a nightmare to the residents. For one, the bridge construction itself was faulty. A low-lying area, common sense dictated that the approach to the bridge should have been erected at a reasonable height. Now, it’s so low-lying that one has to wade through kneedeep water to enter the bridge and cross over to the other side. The way the bridge was built, a good rain would effortlessly inundate the whole area and travel over the bridge would be a herculean task. All the rain water of the locality converges at the approach to the bridge, and with a rare vehemence, creating water-logging. There is a city bus service. As is the case with most residential areas of the capital, the bus service is either non-existent or namesake. No one is serious about its operations, and no time-schedule has been in effect. When people wait for a bus, there’s no bus. When the bus comes seeking passengers, there’s no one waiting to catch a seat. “Sometimes we wait in vain. The bus doesn’t reach in time, and then we have to take an auto or book a cab. It’s costly, but there is no other option here,” said Niranjan Pati, a local. Basu Rout, a tailor who runs a shop near the bridge, said, “This water-logging has been there for years. No one in the authority is bothered about the people’s sufferings. The people’s representa
tives come to us periodically seeking votes. Who do we vote? All are the same when it comes to ignoring people’s problems. They are there for themselves. They spend money here and there and buy votes and win elections. Every time there is a water-logging, it takes a lot of time for the water to flow away. We suffer for days.” Pedestrians, especially the women folk who need to go to the market by crossing the bridge have the worst plight. “The water here blocks the road, and we have to walk in knee-deep water. Our clothes get wet in dirty water, and then they stink. It might be okay for those who cross the area by bike or in cars. But we are really in deep trouble every time it rains. We are sick of this area,” said Ranjana Rani Behera, a housewife. Vendors at the local market are troubled too. Once it rains, their business is affected as people have problem coming to the market to make purchases. “All our requests to the authorities to make things better are falling on deaf years,” said Dayamaya Mallick, a vendor. There are no humps erected on the approach sides to the bridge, raising chances of mishaps. The demand for humps on the road has been there for long, but who cares? Bikes and cars speed away along the road, and this took the life of two persons recently. Locals say there have been several such mishaps off and on here. “We have seen very many accidents here.
Two and four wheelers move fast. If someone comes in their way, they apply sudden brake, leading to mishaps. We have asked the authorities to erect humps, but there’s no response,” stated a resident of Niladri Vihar, Santosh Kumar Nayak. When Orissa Post contacted local corporator Monalisha Sahu and raised the water-logging issue, she put the blame on vendors. “We have created space for a better drainage system, but the vendors created a mud wall in the area, due to which water can’t find its way to the drain. We are doing something on this. We have floated a tender to build a 30-feet wide bridge and there will be proper drainage facility too. A contractor has started the work.” On road mishaps, the corporator said she too was concerned over the frequency of accidents in the area. But she has not been in a position to get the works department erect humps on the road. “We have asked them to have the humps but they say humps will be erected only near schools and medical institutions as per prescribed rules.” About the problems in the bus services, she said the problem will be solved soon. “The route the city bus service to the area takes remains blocked due to some logistical reasons. We have given a written application to the authorities, and they have promised to solve the problem as soon as possible,“ she said.