Team Herald
VASCO: The slum dwellers of Birla Zuarinagar fear the code of conduct from May 15 due to the panchayat elections could result in pre-monsoon work not starting leading to flood like conditions come the monsoon. According to locals, the nullahs have not been cleaned or desilted since last year. They claimed the panchayat last year had cleaned few nullahs but the same was not done properly and this time the works had not commenced.
A slum dweller whodid not want to be named said ” Why would they bother to clean them? These nullahs turn chronic only in rains, thus the once-a-year pre-monsoon cleanup modus is been carried out by the Sancoale Panchayat authorities. They are least bothered about us, living is such condition, next to the unclean nullahs, breathing the stench every single day.”
“It is sad the Sancoale Panchayat authorities failed to undertake pre-monsoon works at Zuarinagar slums. Last year due to chocked gutters and Nullahs, several houses in Zuarinagar slums had to face flood like situation during the heavy rains and this year they (Panchayat) have delayed to undertake pre-monsoon works, for reason best known to the Panchayat” said Shivram Chalwadi, a resident of Birla Zuarinagar.
The Panch member Shivanand Bingi, however claimed that though the Panchayat had listed out works that would be undertaken, he feared the jobs would be halted due to the election code of conduct.
“We have heaps of garbage, trash and silt that can be seen clogged in the major nullahs and drains at Birla Zuarinagar. We had witnessed horror during monsoons and we fear experiencing another flood like situation, if pre-monsoon works are not completed on time. We now have another major worry about election code of conduct and we hope that pre-monsoons works should not get affected with election code. It would be fair if the election commission gives some relaxation for such pre-monsoon works” Bingi said.
