Ghaziabad: In January last year, the UP Jal Nigam dug up the CISF road in Indirapuram for laying a sewer pipeline.
The pipeline work is complete, but the dug-up 2.5km stretch has not been re-laid even after 18 months.
Mounds of earth lying on the side of the road are not only a major source of dust pollution in the area but also continue to be a major hassle for residents and commuters using the stretch.
In fact, the CISF road, which connects Delhi-Meerut Expressway, emerged as the worst dust-polluted stretch in Ghaziabad in a recent survey conducted by the UP Pollution Control Board.
The dust load on this stretch was as high as 11590.80 kg/km, as per the survey.
“The loose soil has been the prime reason for high dust concentration in the area.
Because of this very project, the area has now become one of the most dust-polluted stretches in the entire Ghaziabad.
Moreover, it makes the stretch slushy after showers,” said Alok Kumar, founder of Federation of Apartment Owners’ Association, an umbrella body of RWAs.
Commuters said they have been bearing the brunt of traffic congestion in the area due to the road diversion put in place in view of the sewer pipeline laying work.
“The entire stretch has been dug up due to which all vehicles are using only one side of the road.
This is dangerous and also leads to traffic jam every day,” said Ashish Kumar, a resident.
Authorities attributed the delay in completion of the project to funds crunch and the Covid-induced lockdown.
Amit Kumar, project manager of UP Jal Nigam said that during the initial months of the Centre-state funded project, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) dragged its feet in parting away with its share of funds.
“Lockdown also affected work.
Anyway, the fund issue has now been resolved.
The road construction work on the stretch has started, and we hope to complete it by next month.” Krishna Karunesh, the chairperson of the Ghaziabad Development Authority, which is the custodian of the township, told TOI, “The project should ideally have been completed by now.
We have taken note of the issue and have sent at least three reminders to UP Jal Nigam.
We will take up the issue with senior officials in Lucknow next month.” The Centre-state funded project was conceived two years ago under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The nature of work entailed laying a sewer network connecting all three STPs in the township.
“Due to lack of funds, we could not start road repair work and this led to the delay,” added Kumar.