Residents flag garbage lapses, water scarcity, poor roads in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Ward 9

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Ward 9 has emerged as a key area of voter discontent, as residents across multiple localities continue to grapple with basic civic issues that have remained unresolved for years. Irregular garbage collection, acute water scarcity due to missing pipelines, deteriorating roads, non-functional streetlights and the absence of a govt hospital have collectively sharpened public anger in the ward.The problem of ghantagadi (door-to-door garbage collection) is a major grievance in Misarwadi, Aarti Nagar and Bridgewadi, where residents said garbage collection vehicles fail to arrive regularly, forcing families to carry waste themselves to distant dumping points. This leads to garbage accumulating in open areas, causing foul odour and raising health concerns."The ghantagadi skips our area for days. Garbage piles up, dogs scatter it, and the smell becomes unbearable. Children and elderly people are falling sick frequently," said Shabbir Shaikh, a resident of Bridgewadi.Water scarcity remains equally severe, with several pockets of Naregaon, Bridgewadi, Uttar Nagari and parts of Misarwadi not having a municipal water pipeline at all. In areas where pipelines exist, residents receive water once in eight to 10 days. Civic works to lay new pipelines and construct a water tank are underway, and residents hope this will ease the crisis."Without pipelines, there is no water supply. We depend on tankers and stored water. Even where taps exist, water comes after more than a week," said Sunita Pawar from Uttar Nagari.Road conditions present a mixed but worrying picture. In parts of Chikalthana, roads were surfaced, but they developed multiple cracks, while in other areas, roads are in extremely poor condition. During the monsoon, large stretches became slushy and waterlogged, making them inaccessible even for two-wheelers."During the monsoon, vehicles cannot enter our lane. Children walk through knee-deep mud to reach school," said Ganesh Malke, a resident of Naregaon.Healthcare access is another critical concern. Ward 9 does not have a municipal or govt hospital, and residents travel to Mini Ghati Hospital or seek treatment at private hospitals, leading to high medical expenses, especially for economically weaker families."There is no government hospital here. For any emergency, we have to go far or pay heavily at private hospitals," said Ajay Kamble of Misarwadi.Streetlights in several localities are non-functional, worsening safety concerns at night. Combined with irregular garbage collection, residents warn that the situation poses a serious risk to public health.With civic amenities failing to keep pace with population growth, residents said they expect the next elected body of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation to prioritise water supply, sanitation, road infrastructure and public healthcare once an elected council takes charge.