GUWAHATI, Oct 22 � Infrastructure building requires well-planned development, keeping in mind the present and future needs of the people for whom the work is being done! An under-construction road in Basistha-Pilingkata, however, is a glaring example of the lack of vision and coordination among different departments of the State government.
The road, divided in two parts � 3.5 kilometres in South Ganesh Nagar and 1.5 kilometres from Bakrapara to Pilingkata � is an urgent need for the people of Basistha. However, the locals are wary about the presence of several electricity pillars in the middle of the newly constructed roads and water supply pipes that have been damaged during the construction of footpaths along the roads.
Locals have appealed to the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro), Dr M Angamuthu, to play a proactive role in ensuring coordination among the various government departments, including PWD, Power, PHE, etc., to take the corrective measures immediately, for avoiding wastage of public money to a great extent.
�Several electricity posts, located beside the road earlier, are now a part of the new widened concrete road. Moreover, some transformers and electric wires are also inconveniently placed; it must be rectified in order to avoid future troubles,� said a resident of the area.
The residents fear that if the electric pillars are not removed in time, later, the newly constructed roads would have to be dug up to remove the pillars, defeating the very purpose of the mammoth construction exercise.
�This road project was taken up after a prolonged demand of the people in this area and several democratic movements supporting this demand. It must not be damaged due to a lack of planning and coordination among the government departments,� Biren Sarma, a noted social activist of the area, said.
Despite being a part of the Guwahati municipal area, the Basistha area lacks the desired infrastructure development. For several decades now, the people of the greater Basistha area have been facing an acute crisis of drinking water. Though several small community water supply projects have provided some relief to a section of people, it has failed to reach the larger section of the masses.
On the other hand, due to the damage caused to the water supply pipes, water supply to a large number of households is adversely affected. The local people are demanding installation of GI pipes instead of PVC pipes for convenient repair of water supply pipes in case of damage in future.
