Kamal Ghorui
Dehradun: A ground visit along the 5km stretch of GMS Road – from Balliwala Chowk towards Majra – has revealed a series of persistent civic issues, including encroached footpaths, illegal parking, clogged drains and traffic congestion at key points.Pedestrians have been forced onto the road as footpaths remain broken or encroached upon with vehicles parked on them, further restricting space. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste also lay dumped along the roadside, with discarded signboards and pipes partially blocking a footpath.
Parked vehicles or encroached upon along side the GMS road/Sukanta Mukherjee
Shopkeepers near Balliwala Chowk flagged recurring waterlogging during the monsoon. “Drains here get choked every year and water accumulates. Even now, they haven’t been cleaned, so the same problem is likely again this year,” said Yash Banga, a local shop owner.Traffic congestion at the chowk continues to be a major concern for commuters. Despite a free left turn at the junction, heavy congestion often makes it inaccessible. “The jam gets so acute that people mostly end up taking a longer route via Maharani Bagh and then towards Prem Nagar,” said Vipin Albert, another shopkeeper.
Encroached footpaths of GMS Road /Sukanta Mukherjee
Inside nearby residential pockets, conditions are relatively better but residents pointed to several concerns. At Engineer’s Enclave, the resident welfare association (RWA) highlighted encroachment near the society’s entrance and non-functional streetlights. “Encroachment near the entry point is an issue and streetlights don’t work properly. There’s also a vacant plot near the entrance that has turned into a garbage dumping site,” said RWA vice-president RK Aggarwal, adding that since the approach road falls under public works department (PWD), residents are unable to install a gate despite raising the demand.Towards the Majra end of the road, drains were found clogged at several points, vehicles parked on footpaths and traffic chokepoints added to the chaos. “The drain near the chowk is perpetually choked. Municipal workers have cleaned it several times but it needs to be cleared properly using a JCB machine by PWD,” said ward 42 councillor Renu Devi.
Choked Drain near the entrance at Engineer’s Enclave/Sukanta Mukherjee
Meanwhile, a representative of ward 76 councillor Poonam Pundir assured steps are being taken. “We are addressing the concerns and we will get the drains cleaned. A meeting is scheduled soon to work out a solution,” the representative said.
