Patna: Slow-paced road construction work in the densely populated Mitra Mandal Colony at Saket Vihar in Anisabad has become a major cause of inconvenience and safety concerns for residents, with at least four people including a woman, suffering injuries after falling on the dug-up stretch during the past one week.
Local residents alleged that the colony's main lifeline road has remained excavated for nearly a month for recarpeting and fresh casting work. However, the pace of construction has been extremely slow, making movement difficult and leaving many families virtually confined to their homes.
The situation turned critical on Tuesday when an ambulance carrying an elderly sick person got stuck on the damaged road and was forced to take a lengthy detour to reach a private hospital.
A local resident Ramji Prasad said the road has been dug up for a month but very little progress is visible. "People are finding it difficult to walk and several residents have already been injured after losing balance on the uneven surface," he said.
The one-kilometre stretch connecting Shiv Narayan Chowk to Saket Vihar is being repaired by Buidco. While residents welcomed the road redevelopment and water supply improvement works, the local residents expressed concern over the slow execution of the project. Phulwari Nagar Parishad executive officer Dilip Kumar Jha said he is aware of the problems facing by the residents. "The Buidco chief engineer, who is monitoring the project, has been asked to expedite the work on priority," he said.
Adding to their worries is the upcoming marriage season which begins from June 21 onwards. Residents said organising wedding ceremonies and related rituals would become extremely difficult if the road remains inaccessible, another resident Ashutosh Sinha said adding several weddings are scheduled in the locality and thus guests, caterers and vehicles will face tremendous hardship if the work is not expedited. Besides, parents are also anxious as schools are scheduled to reopen from June 22 onwards. They questioned how young children would safely reach their school buses amid the poor condition of the roads.
