NEW DELHI: Bumpy roads, heaps of garbage, chock-o-block parking, and rampant encroachment have become a headache for the residents of Vinoba Puri and M Block of Lajpat Nagar II in South Delhi.
As you enter the residential area from the main road, potholes and uneven stretches welcome the vehicles. The internal roads are dotted with potholes and rough patches. The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) has tried to flag the issue before the concerned authorities but to no avail.
“This area has had poor roads from the last five years. It’s shocking to think that the Aam Aadmi Party is going to complete its term by next year and yet the condition of our roads is as bad as it was when they came to power. Potholes and a bumpy ride have become a routine for residents here.
There is no space for pedestrians to walk. This is the least that should have been managed,” General Secretary of the RWA, Vinoba Puri, Sanjeev Goyal told The Morning Standard.
Water-logging
“Even with slight rains, water gets accumulated here and it could become a breeding ground for mosquitoes with residential buildings all around,” said Manoj Kumar, who works at a shop next to a residential building.
Parking woes are another issue residents have been grappling with. ‘There are at least 40 vehicles and tens of scooters parked lying across our area,” Goyal said.
Garbage dumps
Another issue that has caused the people a lot of inconveniences is the garbage dumped in the area. There are two garbage sites in the fully residential area. One is even just ahead of the Lala Lajpat Rai Park which has been developed by the Delhi Development Authority and another garbage dump is in the middle of the residential buildings, again facing a park.
Amaan Badyari, a young resident of the area, goes to college every day and has to pass through the stench of the garbage every time.
“The garbage dump is just next to the building in which we live. We can see the stinking pile and the flies from the third floor. We can’t even open our doors and windows due to the stench,” Badyari added.
Two years back, Goyal had removed more than 10 trucks of garbage from one of the dumps near a drain on his own.
Barking woes
The residents of Vinoba Puri and M Block of Lajpat Nagar II are also worried about the unaccounted stray dogs in the area. They say, even the guests have stopped visiting them due to the fear of a huge dog population in the area who have caused a nuisance.
“We keep complaining to the authorities. We don’t even know if the dogs are sterilised,” Goyal added.
Official speak
Sunil Sahdev, the councilor of the Lajpat Nagar Ward 57S blamed the position of roads on Aam Aadmi Party government and stated that there were no funds for the development of the area.
“We are supposed to get around Rs 1.5 crore funds as our yearly expenditure but nothing has been released by the Kejriwal government till now. The process of refilling roads is on a standstill. We have asked for the finances. Right now, we can’t even execute a development work requiring as less as Rs 10,000 in this area,” Sahdev told this newspaper.