Ranchi Ward 37 Grapples with Darkness and Water Scarcity Ahead of Polls
Several neighborhoods within ward number 37 under the Ranchi Municipal Corporation are currently facing a severe crisis due to the absence of operational street lights. This has forced residents to navigate through dark and potentially hazardous roads after sunset, significantly compromising their safety and well-being.
Residents Voice Safety Concerns Over Poor Visibility
The residents, especially women and elderly individuals, have reported that evening hours have become particularly risky due to the lack of proper lighting. Many streets across the ward, which includes areas like Dhurwa, HEC Sector 1, Jagannathpur, SAIL City Road, and Mausibadi, continue to struggle without functional streetlights. Notably, the ward comprises numerous slum areas inhabited by people from lower economic backgrounds.
Sunita Kumari, a resident of the Mausibadi area, expressed her concerns: "The absence of street lights has emerged as a major issue in the area, both for motorists and pedestrians. The dark lanes have increased the risk of accidents, especially since some road patches are in a dilapidated condition. Pedestrians also live in fear of becoming victims of snatching gangs, as such incidents are repeatedly occurring across the city."
Another resident, Shiv Kumar, added: "The light posts here are merely decorative and serve no practical purpose. Candidates are once again promising to fix the lights during this election season, but even if they do, I know from experience that the lights will likely stop working again after some time."
Erratic Water Supply Adds to Residents' Misery
In addition to the lighting issue, the area is plagued by an erratic municipal water supply, which has become a major problem for daily life. Water arrives only once every several days and for a very short duration, making it extremely difficult for residents to manage their daily chores.
Rupa Devi, a local from Jagannathpur, explained the impact: "The lack of water severely affects cooking, sanitation, and hygiene. We are compelled to rely on community borewells to meet our household needs. For drinking water, we have to purchase it daily, which takes a significant toll on our household expenses."
Former Councillor Promises Action if Re-elected
Former ward councillor Anand Murti, who is contesting the election again, acknowledged the issues. He stated that during his previous tenure, he had installed many street lights in the ward and dug five borewells to address water scarcity.
"However, as the election was on hold for the last three years, the majority of the lights became non-functional due to a lack of maintenance. Water scarcity remains a major problem here since the area is a dry zone. Out of the five wells dug, two projects failed during my last term. But this time, I am contesting again to complete the works that were left undone or incomplete due to hurdles posed by the Covid pandemic," Murti added.
Murti also highlighted his future plans, stating that if he wins the election, he intends to build community libraries for slum children. These children often struggle to access quality education due to their modest economic conditions, and such initiatives could provide them with better learning opportunities.
The combination of non-functional street lights and unreliable water supply has created a challenging environment for the residents of ward 37. As the election approaches, they are hopeful that their pressing issues will be addressed promptly and effectively by the elected representatives.
