Flood of Frustration: Crumbling infra drowns leaders’ promises

Jaipur: Heavy rains lashing the city over the last few days have laid bare the fragile state of Jaipur's civic infrastructure. Roads have caved in, century-old sewer lines have burst under pressure, and waterlogging has left residents struggling. On Thursday, a portion of the road near the govt hostel crossing on MI Road collapsed, leaving in its wake a 15-feet deep and 12-feet wide crater filled with sewage water. JMC-Heritage's electricity committee chairperson, Uttam Sharma, said, "The team reached the spot immediately. This sewer line is very old. Due to continuous rainfall, the pressure increased and the line broke inside, causing the road to cave in. We have started work and it will be fixed by tomorrow."Work is also underway to lay a new line between the tourism department and Khasa Kothi stretch. Sharma added, "A new line is being laid here to reduce the pressure on the MI Road sewer. This line will extend up to the commissionerate and the work will be completed in the next one to one-and-a-half months."In Mansarovar's Shanti Nagar, Ward 52, a portion of the 80ft road caved in completely. "The colony's main 80ft road, which connects NSR with Mansarovar, caved in. The contractor broke it just before Diwali in Oct last year, and it has remained in the same state ever since. This is despite our MLA Gopal Sharma inaugurating the road repair work himself in Dec last year," Nitin Mata, a resident of the area, said. Another local, Prashant Khinchi, said, "We informed officials about this earlier too. The councillor sent sandbags, but with heavier rains this time, the crater worsened. The local AEN doesn't pick up calls, and no action is ever taken."Ward 52 councillor Poonam Sharma admitted the problem, saying, "At this time, no permanent work can be done. As an interim measure, we are sending sandbags. JDA has assured that work will begin after the monsoon."Meanwhile, on Kalwar Road, angry residents vented their frustration by putting up posters against their MLA Rajyavardhan Rathore. The posters, featuring his image, read, "You give me votes, I will give you potholes." Locals said, "We elect leaders to resolve our issues, but they are leaders only in name and never work for us. Rathore should come and see for himself how living here has become unbearable."In Jawahar Nagar's Kachchi Basti, the situation is even worse. Four days of continuous rainfall flooded almost every house in Teela No. 1. Locals waded through rainwater inside their homes and even kept children back from school.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Teacher's Day wishes, messages and Quotes !