Residents block road to protest delay in drain work

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Residents of Ambicapatty, a prime location in the heart of Silchar town came out to the street on Tuesday to register protest against the ‘unplanned’ renovation as well as construction of drains. The residents of the area, under the aegis of Nagarik Swartharaksha Sangram Parishad staged a two hour sit-in demonstration at Chowrangee point from 9 am on Tuesday. Residents lambasted the municipality authority, district administration as well as the local MLA Dipayan Chakraborty. Haridas Dutta, the general secretary of Sangram Parishad said, since none from the municipality or administration had come to hear their pains and worries, the local residents would again stage protest on Wednesday.

Ambicapatty is a posh residential area in Silchar town with at least four premiere education institutions in the vicinity. But regular construction of high rise residential complex, unplanned drainage system as well as encroachment had made Ambicapatty a water-logging prone area. Half an hour rain would inundate the entire area. During last year’s massive flood, Ambicapatty was one the worst areas in the entire town.

Local MLA Dipayan Chakraborty’s initiative to renovate the drainage system was welcomed by the residents. From March 25 massive eviction was started from Chowrangee to Bharati Corner point. Though there was no protest from the people, force was deployed to create a sense of terror as excavators were used to break the boundary walls of the houses. And since then for the last forty days, the lives of the residents turned into a nightmare. Construction work was going on in snail’s pace. Further, none from the administration or municipality authority even bothered to pay a visit to see the progress of the work.

On Tuesday, quizzed by the irate local residents, an employee of the construction company admitted that unless the electric transformers and poles were not shifted, the renovation works would be of no value. Constant movement of excavators, digging up of drains had started to cause erosion and cracks in various households. This had panicked the residents.

Surprisingly there was absolutely no coordination among the various concerned departments like APDCL or PHE. The project is being done by the Silchar Municipality authority but since there is no elected board, no one seems to be answerable. Sources said, the construction company on April 11 had written a letter to the municipality authority to discuss the problems with the concerned departments, but till now no positive sign could be seen.

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