| Broken walls, shattered dreams reflect woes of Rajpura | | |  Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 15: A year ago, I had to shut my general store forever, fearing it could collapse anytime due to the failure of drainage system in lane number 17 in Rajpura Mangotrain. This statement of Surinder Kumar is enough to narrate the plight of the the locality.
Surinder told Early Times that there was only one shop in the entire locality, and it was enough to meet my minimum requirements, but I could not dare to fill the cracks developed on walls, and preferred to close my shop.
"I used to run a general store there a year ago, but now I'm working at a shop in the city", he said appealing the administration to take notice of the misery, the entire residents are suffering from. "I renovated boundary walls of my house and installed a new gate, but within one year cracks developed on the walls", said D R Langeh a retired official.
"It was 1977 when drainage system was laid down in the locality", Langeh said. Expressing resentment over indifference of the administration he said it is very unfortunate that this locality could not find any place under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and other schemes.
Showing major cracks developed in her bed room, now abandoned and kitchen, Parkasho Devi said, we don't know whom to approach for our sufferings, but I appeal the administration through media, to kindly take care of us. "My husband expired 18 years back, my elder son is differently abled, and my younger son working in a factory is the only earner for family of five, we are unable to repair the cracks again and again", she said.
"We feel excommunicated by the administration, as the drainage line could not reach to the peak end of this lane", Dr Rajinder Sharma, NRI, presently posted in Ministry of Higher Education, Government of Oman.
Dr Rajinder, a crusader, who launched a campaign for an advanced drainage system in the lane, said, he came to India on January 13, and felt suffocated, when he visited his area. "I talked to all the residents, and came to know that the company which has been entrusted to lay drainage system didn't complete its work, and due to negligence on the part of the concerned agency all the residents are suffering", he said and added unhygienic conditions in area is also calling various diseases.
He said that there are over 200 residents of 55 houses in the area and all are victims of administration's apathy. "I have filed a complaint with, Jammu Municipal Corporation online, and a complaint has also been sent to Governor's Grievance Cell, I hope that we will get justice and at the same time we will continue our struggle", he added. |
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