Prayagraj Old City: Broken, dusty roads poll issue for residents here
The number of such patients is in the hundreds and many more are approaching doctors, residents said
A resident of Haji Nagar locality, Rashid, has been advised by the doctor to always wear a mask while on the roads after he developed breathing problems due to dust. A Kareli resident, Bablu, developed back pain due to potholed roads.
The number of such patients is in the hundreds and many more are approaching doctors, says Mohd Taj, a social activist.
Broken and dusty roads are a big issue for Old City residents of Prayagraj which partially fall under both the Allahabad and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Along with the condition of roads, encroachment in these Muslim-dominated and densely populated localities has resulted in serious health issues, and residents hope for better times from the candidates vying to be MPs.
Locals claim that they have raised these issues in past Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls but have received only promises. They are doomed to commute on potholed roads which get water-logged during the rains but choke commuters due to dust all year round.
Noorullah Road, Katju Road, Shaukat Ali Road, Mirza Ghalib Road and old GT Road were constructed and repaired during the last Kumbh and are still intact. However, other roads and streets, especially in the interiors of localities in the Old City, are in a poor condition, affecting the daily lives of lakhs of voters in both constituencies.
Residents here feel neglected and complain that both the elected MPs never bothered to visit their areas or take steps to provide them with better facilities.
The localities which are worst affected due to poor roads and lanes are Kareli, Atala, Dariabad, Daira Shah Ajmal, Buxi Bazar, Gulab Badi, Hatia Bahadurganj, Tulsipur, Roshanbagh, Rani Mandi, Akbarpur, Sultanpur Bhawa etc.
Kareli, which falls in the Allahabad constituency, is considered the biggest area which includes many small localities. The two main roads of Sola Market and Asghari Market run parallel and are marked by deep pits. The Sola Market Road ends at Mastan Market where the road is in equally poor condition.
Another road then links Mastan Market to Gaus Nagar and Kasari Masari which is also in the same state. Some work has recently been done on the main road at Abu Bakar Masjid, but the rest of Kareli is replete with poor and dusty roads. The deep pits on the roads are a constant pain in the back, causing health issues, says senior citizen Wasif Ameen, a Gaus Nagar resident.
Roshanbagh area, which falls under Phulpur Lok Sabha seat, hit the headlines when hundreds of women sat on a demonstration against CAA in 2022. Roshanbagh and its adjoining localities Daira Shah Ajmal, Gulab Badi, Baigan Tola, Buxi Bazar are densely populated and have narrow lanes and by-lanes.
“It is hard to recall when these roads were constructed or repaired last time. The streets have deep pits and it’s difficult to maintain balance for two-wheeler riders. Neither the MP nor the MLA ever visited these localities,” says a lawyer Zeeshan Ahmad of Gulab Badi area.
Local Congress leader Irshad Ullah claims that similar situation prevails at Hatia, Bahadurganj, Rani Mandi and adjoining localities. Despite several complaints and continuous demand by locals, no steps were taken to repair the roads and streets in the Old City area, he complained.
“Roads are a big issue for locals of the Old City area. Moreover, encroachment on main roads has also caused problems in traffic movement on main roads. Having faced neglect for the past many years, people here are hopeful that those voted to power will bring a change in infrastructure,” says recently elected corporator of Akbarpur Kashan Siddiqui.