Merc on the muddy road

LUCKNOW: Former UP education minister Masood Ahmed, who has been living in Chinhat for the past eight years since he shifted from Tanda in Ambedkarnagar is waiting for an interaction with the village pradhan. “I don’t know who the village pradhan is, said Ahmed. He added, “In the current pradhani election, one candidate came to me seeking my vote. But, when I told him I am not registered as voter of this place, he thanked me and went away.” admitting candidly that once this was known to the candidates, they stopped coming to my place to seek votes.Ahmed was the education minister from May 1993 to December 1993.
Ahmed added that sewage poses the biggest problem as well as threat to the population living in Chinhat’s Ganeshpur-Rameshpur village panchayat, as it lies precisely on the boundary line, which separates the jurisdiction of Lucknow Municipal Corporation from the village panchayat. Pointing at a nullah, the former minister says, “This nullah separates the village panchayat with LMC.” Only 10% roads of the village are in proper shape, while rest are either under construction or have eroded.
Apart from this, there is no system for disposal of household garbage in the entire area. “As a result, people burn waste, which not only generates foul smell but also pollutes the air,” said Ahmed, adding that when he tried to contact the village pradhan and air his grievances, he gave him and fellow villagers cold shoulder and expressed his inability to do anything for lack of funds.
Resident of Mukeshpur village panchayat area Mohammed Ali said, “We came to know about our village pradhan only when election posters were being pasted on walls of houses and shops. Till that day, we were only guessing what the pradhan looks like.” Pointing at a sewer built around six months back, Ali said, “It has been made, but is not operational and sewage will flow on streets when it rains.”
Ganeshpur-Rehmanpur resident S Khan was of the view that the pradhan lost interest in the area’s development, as it may fall under the jurisdiction of Lucknow Municipal Corporation next year. “If the village pradhan has to contest the corporator’s election, he might start interacting with the public. Till then, we can only wait and watch,” Khan said.
A senior office-bearer of RWA of Anandlok colony R K Shukla said, “Almost a year back, we had approached the village pradhan to help us get the sewage problem of the area fixed. But he declined, stating that the area has become a colony, hence the onus of redressing the problems lies on the colonisers.” Shukla also said residents of the colony would definitely vote this time, but would elect a new representative, who would be relatively more accessible.
S H KHAN: Our area seems to be of least interest for the pradhan. No one has seen him in the last five years and we could see his face only in the posters for election campaign.
MOHAMMED ALI: Roads, sewage and disposal of garbage is the biggest problem, which the residents of the area have been facing for the past few years. Despite highlighting the issue before the village pradhan, we have yet to see redress of our grievances.
MASOOD AHMED: The entire area becomes inaccessible during monsoon and problem of sewage worsens. Also, there is no provision for effective disposal of garbage. People burn garbage outside their houses, causing pollution.
SUDHA MISHRA: Our family shifted here four years back. Drain has been constructed, but it is yet not functional. Till then, we presume we would continue to face sewage problem. Water supply is also a big problem here.