The long wait is finally over. But disappointment persists. Residents of CIB Quarters in Malakpet have waited for eight long months for a good road. Ultimately, what they got was a layer of wet mix, which sank the day after. Trust the GHMC to do a haphazard job.
Under tremendous pressure from residents and local legislator Ahmed Bin Abdulla Balala, the civic body laid the road after much dilly-dallying on Tuesday night. The next morning, residents woke up to find that it had caved in at several places under the impact of vehicular movement.
Official apathy
If there is a reward for suffering official apathy then the residents of CIB Quarters deserve it.
Residents here have not been able to use the Subedar Amir Ali Khan road for the last two years. For one reason or the other, the road that runs along the Malakpet railway station was dug out and left unrestored.
“All along, we have been demanding a CC road but now we have to remain content with a wet mix road laid in a hurry,” says Abul Fath Bandgi Badshah, secretary, CIB Quarters Residents Welfare Society.
Sewerage works being executed by the Water Board has also left the residents in misery. The micro tunnelling work at the Lalazar hotel side – hanging fire for the last two years – was finally completed four months ago, but the road was left unrestored.
“Elderly persons were worst hit. They couldn’t board autos from their doorstep and have to walk long distance,” says Zubair Ahmed, joint-secretary of the Society.
Contractor abandons work
The work got delayed as the contractor abandoned the work for non-payment of pending bills, it is said. When the huge drainage pipes were being laid, the road could not get the bitumen top.
During Ramzan, Mr. Balala visited the area and promised to get a BT road, laid but the residents insisted on a CC road. But now the layer of wet mix has come as a big disappointment, says Kaleemullah Husaini, a resident.
