Traffic congestion giving sleepless nights to locals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the past eight to nine years, the residents of Prabhag 7 are facing hardships because of lack of civic amenities. Despite being one of the most densely populated wards with a high concentration of commercial activity, the infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the area’s growth. The defining characteristic of life in the Prabhag today is traffic congestion. As a commercial hub, the Prabhag sees a massive influx of vehicles daily. However, the lack of designated parking zones means that every available inch of road space is occupied by haphazardly parked cars and two-wheelers. This crisis is severely aggravated by unauthorised street vendors at spots like Kamal Chowk, Indora Chowk, Budha Nagar, Kamptee Road, etc. 

 

 

 

 

While these vendors are a part of the local economy, their occupation of footpaths and road margins forces pedestrians onto the main carriage-way, further slowing down traffic and increasing the risk of accidents. For the elderly and children in the ward, simply crossing the street has become a hazardous task. A city’s health is measured by its cleanliness, and on this front, Prabhag 7 is struggling. Residents have consistently reported that door-to-door garbage collection is erratic. When the garbage collection van fails to turn up on a routine basis, waste inevitably piles up within households. The result of this inconsistency is the rise of illegal dumping spots. Open plots and street corners have turned into “black spots” where garbage accumulates, attracting stray animals and creating foul-smelling, unhygienic conditions. Despite numerous complaints over the last decade, a sustainable waste management cycle remains elusive for the citizens of this Prabhag. 

 

 

A specific problem causing hardships to the locals is Sanichara Bazar. The historic marketplace lacks basic facilities. There are no elevated platforms for vendors, no dedicated drainage, and no organised layout. During monsoons, the area turns into a mess, making it almost impossible for people to access the market. Lack of modern marketplace amenities at the busy commercial zone highlights stagnant nature of civic development in the Prabhag. 

 

 

Perhaps the most prominent issue the Prabhag residents are facing is erratic water supply. The NMC installed new water supply lines and meters in over 800 households. However, the project appears to have been executed only on papers. According to the residents, the water meters are in place, but the supply lines remain non-operational. Despite erratic water supply even after laying new lines, households are being slapped with hefty water bills. Administrative failure - charging for a service that isn’t being provided - has caused significant financial distress and a sense of betrayal among the taxpayers of Prabhag 7. The citizens of Prabhag 7 are not asking for luxuries; they are asking for the functional basics of urban life: clear roads, regular waste collection, and fair billing for utilities. Many residents told The Hitavada , focus of civic administration must shift from cosmetic fixes to solving these deep-rooted structural and administrative failures.