While the project aims to improve infrastructure, poor planning and execution have created serious concerns.
Despite land acquisition for road widening having been completed years ago, the electricity department installed electricity poles and streetlights along the roadside barely about a year and a half ago.
With the ongoing widening works, nearly 80 per cent of these poles now fall within the expanded road area and will have to be relocated, leading to avoidable expenditure from the public exchequer.
Residents have questioned why the PWD, fully aware of the upcoming widening project, failed to inform or coordinate with the electricity department before the installation of the poles. “Had there been proper communication, the poles could have been installed at appropriate locations, saving both time and public money,” remarked a local resident.
The situation has been further compounded by simultaneous infrastructure works carried out over the past few years.
Sewer pipelines have been laid along one side of the road, while underground electric cables have been installed on the other. Distribution boxes for these cables are now located within the widened stretch, adding to safety concerns.
At present, several electricity poles stand precariously within the newly widened portions of the road, posing a serious risk to motorists.
Citizens have expressed frustration over the prolonged inconvenience caused in the name of development. Many have pointed out that road excavation and related works have been ongoing for years without proper planning or completion causing several accidents in the locality since past over three years.
