KOELWAR’S MAIN ROAD IN SHAMBLE FOR 20 YEARS

KOELWAR’S MAIN ROAD IN SHAMBLE FOR 20 YEARS

22-JULY-ENG 20

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------------The main road of the Koilwar Nagar Panchayat in Ara—a vital route for thousands of residents—has been in a dilapidated state for the past two decades. Conditions are so dire that potholes one-and-a-half to two feet deep have formed, making it difficult for people to even walk on the road. School children, the elderly, and women are facing the greatest hardship, yet no permanent solution has been found so far.

This road runs from Koilwar Chowk to the main gate of the Mental Hospital, passing through Mianchak, Hanumatdham, Chiktoli, Bazar Mohalla, Kazi Mohalla, Azad Kala Mandir, the Bihar Duck Farm, and the RAF headquarters. The condition of this approximately two-kilometer-long road has deteriorated to the point where it is hard to distinguish whether there are potholes in the road or a road amidst the potholes.

Seven of the town's 14 wards are directly connected to this road. Residents of Wards 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, and 10 use this route to reach key locations such as the town square, vegetable market, police station, block office, municipal office, railway station, and auto-rickshaw stand. However, the road's dilapidated condition has turned their daily commute into a challenge.

People are frequently getting injured after falling into potholes. Locals state that despite repeated complaints to public representatives, no concrete action has been taken, leading to growing resentment among the residents.

The road becomes even more hazardous during the rainy season. As potholes fill with water, it becomes difficult to distinguish the road surface from the pits. School buses have frequently broken down after getting stuck in these potholes.

The situation has deteriorated to the point where school buses have stopped plying this route. Parents now have to drop their children off at Koilwar Chowk—about 1 to 1.5 kilometers away—where the children catch their buses. This has added to the daily inconvenience.

Several temples and two mosques are located along this road. Locals use this route to visit these places for worship and prayers, but they are forced to navigate through waterlogging and mud.

The situation is most critical for patients. In medical emergencies, it becomes difficult for vehicles to reach the area, forcing people to carry patients on cots to the main road. This situation also raises questions about the local healthcare infrastructure.

Hopes for the road's reconstruction were raised when the Rural Works Department issued a tender based on the recommendation of the local MLA. Subsequently, the work order was awarded to Shashi Galvanizing Private Limited.

However, according to residents, no work commenced for six months after the order was issued. When construction finally began, the contractor completed concreting only a 600-to-700-meter stretch before abandoning the project and disappearing. Gradually, machinery and construction materials were also removed from the site. The combination of an incomplete road and the rains has further compounded the residents' woes, and even the faint glimmer of hope they held is now fading.

Locals state that had the construction been completed on time, this problem would not exist today. As it stands, people are forced to take a detour of nearly three kilometers just to cover a distance of 200 to 300 meters.

Currently, residents are demanding immediate intervention from the administration and elected representatives. Public frustration is likely to escalate if the road construction is not completed soon; the road has ceased to be merely a thoroughfare and has instead become a major crisis in the daily lives of the people.