Underpass deaths expose the apathy of Faridabad MC, govt: Opposition
The incident of the death of two persons in a waterlogged underpass recently has not only exposed the incompetence of the civic body in providing proper disposal system for the stormwater and sewage waste in the city, but also provided fodder to attack for the candidates of the Opposition parties and the Independents contesting the elections from the six Assembly segments here.
“Though the poor civic infrastructure remains one of the most common problems for the Opposition and their candidates, the recent incident of the death of two bank officials in a waterlogged underpass has led to anger among the masses. It has become a hot topic in the wake of the publicity it got through the media,” said Devinder Singh Surjewala, a political analyst.
He said the contestants, belonging to the Opposition, would highlight the tragedy to corner the civic body and the government. Claiming that the incident had put the ruling party on the backfoot regarding their claims on achievements, it is likely to be used as a weapon to woo the voters by other parties,” said Vishnu Goel, a resident.
Admitting the severity of the problem, Dhanesh Adlkaha, the BJP candidate from Badkhal, has promised to transform the civic infrastructure in the segment within 100 days if elected. Adlakha on Sunday said the drainage and sewage disposal needed overhauling.
Vijay Pratap, the Congress candidate from this seat, alleged that while the BJP rule had failed to provide an efficient civic infrastructure in the past 10 years, he said the problem had been a cause for concern in the city.
“The ruling party is certain to face a backlash in the ongoing campaign as this has exposed the false claims and alleged corruption in the administration,” said Abhash Chandila, the AAP candidate from Tigaon seat here. Blaming mismanagement and corruption, he said the BJP was left with no moral right to seek the mandate for the third time.
Parag Sharma, Congress candidate from Ballabhgarh, said the failure to give due importance to civic issues had made residents suffer despite paying all taxes. Electing the MLAs simply on the basis of caste or short- term lures had made the things worse, she added. Neeraj Sharma, Congress candidate from NIT, said the problem was being taken up prominently in the campaign.
The problem of stormwater disposal has been aggravated due to the lack of cleanliness and maintenance of the drains, which had either been choked or not connected with disposal outlets, an official said.
Anger among the masses
Though the poor civic infrastructure remains one of the most common problems for the Opposition and their candidates, the recent incident of the death of two bank officials in a waterlogged underpass has led to anger among the masses. It has become a hot topic in the wake of the publicity it got through the media. — Devinder Singh Surjewala, political analyst
