Khatipura residents live amid rubble after JDA demolition drive
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Jaipur: In a display of administrative negligence, residents along the General Sagat Singh Marg, Khatipura Tiraha and Sirsi Road are grappling with a man-made disaster more than a month after the Jaipur Development Authority's (JDA) anti-encroachment drive.
The drive, conducted in May, targeted illegal roadside shops and houses. The demolition was intended at road widening but the left debris has transformed the area into a civic catastrophe. Broken structures, blocked drainage systems and wasted water have become daily reminders of the authorities' failure to complete what they started.
The crisis has forced residents to dig into their own pockets, with each household contributing Rs 500 for partial debris removal.
"We couldn't wait for the authorities any longer with monsoon approaching," says Ratan Lal, 56, a frustrated resident who has witnessed his neighbourhood transform into a waterlogged mess during recent rains.
The haphazard execution has left the main drainage line clogged with rubble, creating a potential public health hazard. Adding to the woes, the demolition was allegedly carried out without disconnecting water connections, resulting in continuous wastage of precious drinking water resources.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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"We're watching clean water go down the drain daily in a city where some colonies struggle to get tanker supplies," says Suresh Kumar Mitharwal, a local lawyer, highlighting the irony of the situation.
JDA site engineer Nishant Khandelwal attributed the delay in debris removal to safety concerns and partial demolitions, explaining that residents had pledged to clear encroachments themselves. DIG enforcement at JDA, Kailash Bishnoi said that the authority was "working to resolve the issue," though no specific timeline was provided. This debacle exposes an unplanned urban development and bureaucratic apathy.
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