While the city proudly speaks of development, New Manish Nagar is witnessing the exact opposite. During the monsoon, instead of better infrastructure, residents are watching perfectly good roads being dug up for a sewer pipeline project and transformed into dangerous stretches filled with potholes, loose gravel and sludge. If development is measured by the number of roads excavated rather than the quality of roads delivered, this area is certainly leading the race. The road in question did not demand reconstruction. It was in good condition until a sewage pipeline project ripped it apart.

 

What followed was a familiar story - excavation first, restoration later, and accountability nowhere. The arrival of monsoon has exposed the cost of this casual approach towards public infrastructure. The obvious question is why such a major project was undetaken right before the rainy season began in full swing. Civil works of this scale require planning, coordination and timely execution. Instead, the work going on would have no issues if it would have been completed before monsoon with the roads fixed. PWD officials on request of anonmity stated that they are aware of the situation and is doing their best to resolve the issues created by the project. This is a big project and the ongoing sewage pipeline work is almost complete, the roads dug up in some parts will be filled up soon. Residents stated that Taxpayers first fund the construction of quality roads, only to watch the same roads being dug up months later by another government agency in the name of development.

 

“Why should everything not be done at the time of first plan execution? The bill, however, is ultimately paid by the public through damage vehicles, wasted fuel, traffic congestions and the ever-present risk of accidents,” they said. “Earlier, this was one of the smoothest roads in the locality. Today, every ride feels like you are risking an accident,” expressed Rajshee Soni, a commuter, “The potholes disappear under rainwater and some parts of the road are slippery, which poses threat of accidents,” she lamented. “A boy riding a two-wheeler skid and fell down the road, where he was injured. To prevent any other accidents in future, the road should be fixed immediately,” shared a resident nearby. Infrastructure projects are meant to improve lives, not create new hazards. A city cannot claim to be progressing when good roads are repeatedly sacrificed to poor coordination and hurried execution. Development should not begin by destroying what already works. The road did not collapse because of age or neglect. It was dug up in the name of development and left exposed at the worst possible time.