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Chandigarh: Skewed development irks Dhanas village residents in Ward 14
Recently taken over by the MC, Dhanas village wants development on a par with neighbouring colonies in Ward 14
Ward No. 14 comprises Dhanas village, which came under the Chandigarh municipal corporation in 2018, besides parts of Dhanas — LIG Colony, Milkman Colony, Aman Colony, Chaman Colony and Ambedkar Colony — that were under Ward No. 5 before the fresh delimitation earlier this year.
Locals claim that while there has been some development in the colonies, the village continues to face neglect.
Bhim Singh, a former Dhanas village panchayat member who will be voting in the MC elections for the first time, says: “The main road leading to the village hasn’t been repaired for seven years. The streetlights don’t work. Around 25% of the area lies outside the lal dora. Now that the village will have a councillor to represent us in the MC, we expect these issues to be resolved and new development works to kick off on a similar scale as in the adjoining colonies.”
Parking pangs in colonies
At Chaman, Aman and Ambedkar colonies, roads are narrow and paved parking spaces have been made on the roadside. However, with the number of vehicles going up, the space is not enough.
Sanjay Chauhan, a resident of Chaman Colony, says: “We need more space for parking vehicles. People end up parking vehicles on the main road, which is already narrow; so it leaves no space to move, especially at night.”
Moving on the inner lanes is as problematic. Tara Singh, 80, of Ambedkar Colony, says the uneven roads haven’t been repaired for years. “The roads become especially bad after rain. Just recently, a neighbour slipped and got injured.”
Cattle an irritant at Milkman Colony
Even as Milkman Colony is the most affluent locality in the area with big plots for bungalows, cattle roam freely on roads and in parks, raising sanitation issues.
Avtar Singh, president of the Resident Welfare Association here, says, “We had demanded that Milkman Colony be declared Sector 14 West, which was approved by the administration in 2020. While the area is called Milkman Colony, only a few people rear animals. They are supposed to keep them inside their premises, but still let them loose, creating problems for others.”
Area councillor Sheela Devi also resides in the colony. “The dispute regarding cattle has gone on for a long time. I have spoken to senior MC officials to challan those who rear their cattle on public land. We have also developed 40 parks in Dhanas,” she said.
Know your ward
Localities: Dhanas village; LIG Colony, Milkman Colony, Aman Colony, Chaman Colony and Ambedkar Colony, all in Dhanas
General ward with around 15,000 voters
Key issues
Dhanas village is lagging behind in development as compared to the colonies
Shortage of parking spaces and dilapidated streets a key issue in colonies
Milk Colony residents irked by cattle being let loose in parks
Local voices
Water bills have increased manifold even as the supply continues to suffer, especially in market areas: Sunil Kumar, 49, a resident of Milk Colony who runs a dhaba in the area
We need development on a par with colonies. The main road leading to the village needs immediate repairs: Bhim Singh, 52, former panchayat member of Dhanas Village
People from the adjoining village dump garbage in our colony, raising a stink. Also, parking issue needs to be addressed on priority: Sanjay Chauhan, 36, a resident of Chaman Colony in Dhanas
Electricity wires hang loosely over streets, posing danger. Paver blocks were recently laid on the streets, but the work is shoddy: Anand Dev, 63, a resident of Dhanas Village
