Poor roads irk locals in Sonepat city
Mukesh Tandon
Sonepat, February 2
Sonepat city residents are a harried lot as all major roads in posh sectors here are riddled with potholes. Alleging that they have been forced to face these problems due to a political tussle between the ruling and the Opposition parties, locals say they have raised the issue before the authorities several times but to no avail.
The roads including main entry road of Sector 15, Geeta Bhawan chowk, Purkhas Adda road, Old DC road, Sector 14 entry road, Baba Dham road, Sector 12, Sector 23 and other main roads in the city are in deplorable condition. One side of the old Rohtak-Sonepat flyover too has potholes, which are usually filled with sewage water.
Two projects in pipeline
We have planned to lay a new storm water drainage line of 2-ft in Sector 14 and 15 so that the waterlogging problem is addressed. Besides, a proposal to construct a new RMC road of M-40 grade is in the pipeline. Tenders for both the projects have been floated. —Nikhil Madaan, Mayor
The councillors, at a meeting with the Commissioner recently, had raised the issue of broken roads, poor drainage system, overflowing sewage and poor supply of potable water in the city.
Mohan Singh Manocha, president, Sonepat Nagar Sudhar Manch and general secretary of Sector 15 Resident Welfare Association, said the main entry road in the sector had been in a state of neglect for the past three years.
“The drainage system collapsed in Sector 15. Around two-ft deep water logged on the main road during monsoon and it did not drain out even after 18 hours,” he said, adding: “We have raised the issues of poor roads and drainage before the public representatives and officials but to no avail.”
Residents blame the internal tussle amid the BJP and Congress for the problems. The MLA and Mayor belong to the Congress. They said no one paid heed to them as they were from the Opposition party.
Anil Gupta, who had contested from Ward 15 unsuccessfully, said no road in the city was in good condition. “Even the main flyover on the Sonepat-Rohtak road is in dilapidated condition. It has over two-ft wide potholes, which are mostly filled with sewage water,” he alleged.
Rajiv Jain, former media coordinator of the Chief Minister and BJP leader, said the city roads were in worst condition and needed to be immediately repaired. He also wrote a letter to the MC Commissioner to start the repair work at the earliest, Jain asserted.
Mayor Nikhil Madaan said: “We have planned to lay a new storm water drainage line of 2-ft in Sector 14 and 15 so that the waterlogging problem is addressed. Besides, a proposal to construct a new RMC road of M-40 grade is in the pipeline. Tenders for both the projects have been floated.”
