Monday, March 19, 2012

Main road encroached upon, turns into dumping ground

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, March 18
The main road leading to the Government College, DAV BEd College and DAV Senior Secondary School here has virtually been turned into a garbage dumping ground where people have encroached upon. The Municipal Council had worked out an ambitious project of creating a divider for the smooth running of traffic on the road.

The dividers have been laid and electric poles have been erected on it but the space on the left side of the divider, offering entry for the DAV BEd College and DAV Senior Secondary School, have become a garbage dumping ground.

The old electricity poles have not been removed. The roads on either side have not been metalled. There are big potholes. Followers of a religious sect have encroached upon in the middle of the road and have raised a temporary structure. The construction activities have been abandoned.

"We had approached the electricity board officials to remove the electric poles before the imposition of the model code of conduct but they did not bother. As soon as the poles are shifted, the encroachment would be removed immediately," said Sukhdev Singh, Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Fazilka. Students have to travel on this road several times a day.

The thickly populated Anandpur and Kanshi Ram Colony are also located here. On the right side of the divider, scores of shops have cropped up making it a busy area.

"It is difficult for the residents to cover this bumpy stretch, the only connecting road to the main town," regretted Manjit Singh of Kanshi Ram Colony.

Moreover, a large numbers of BSF personnel also have to travel through this road to visit the town.

Veteran social activist and retired professor of IIT Roorkee, Bhupinder Singh has offered the services of the Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka if the authorities are hesitant to remove the encroachments. 

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