Ward Watch: Challenges range from crime, traffic, encroachment and shortage of buses in Nashik East

Nashik: With most parts enjoying proximity to the Mumbai-Agra highway, and some closely connected with the Nashik-Pune highway as well, barring certain locations, the Nashik East division of the city is mostly densely populated with residential areas.Residents said the proximity to the highways also gives miscreants an advantage to escape after committing chain robberies. This calls for a strong police presence, people said. Kathe Galli, Indiranagar and Ashoka Marg residents say crime has been on the rise for quite a few years. A police chowkey in the Kathe Galli area, or police patrols in others, have helped little in overcoming this issue."A few years back, a woman named Sheila Gaikwad (45), who was riding a scooter, died in the Nasardi area after she fell off her vehicle while fending off two bike-borne robbers attempting to snatch her bag," said Umesh Gaikwad of Ashoka Marg. There is still no drop in chain robberies. In fact, Ashoka Marg, Indiranagar and Kathe Galli areas need round-the-clock police checkpoints to keep criminals at bay, he added.Residents of Takli, Ramdas Swami Nagar, DGP Nagar and Pandav Nagari areas of the Nashik East division also complained about the continuous movement of heavy trucks on the route between Takli, Fame Multiplex junction, Indiranagar and Pathardi Phata. This road, connecting the Mumbai-Agra highway with the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Road, while intersecting the Nashik Pune highway at the Fame Multiplex signal, has a constant flow of trucks and containers. There were accidents in the past, and the residents of some of these areas also protested over the same.Residents said the road passes through dense residential localities, and accidents are frequent. At times, some truckers also use the narrow colony roads."There is no relief in sight from this problem in the near future, given the increasing flow of traffic. The only possible solution will be if the elected representatives come together and decide to ban heavy commercial vehicles into the city during the daytime," said Mukesh Sharma, a banker and resident of the Ramdas Swami Nagar area.Despite the flow of heavy vehicles, the city bus service is scarce in these areas, with people mainly having to depend on their own vehicles or autorickshaws.Meanwhile, Ganjamal, the Mahatma Phule Market area, Motha Rajwada and Nanaswali are parts of the old city area, a mix of slums and decades-old settlements. Many people feel govt should redevelop parts of these areas so that buildings come up in place of the single-storey houses, and there are wider roads for better commuting. The dense localities lead to the menace of mosquitoes and waterlogging during the monsoons. During a fire breakout, the fire tenders have a tough time reaching the spot owing to the narrow lanes.In Bhabha Nagar, encroachment on the road from the Kathe Galli signal to the Mumbai Naka junction is a major problem, as more and more people have started using this road to move towards the city by avoiding the ever-congested Dwarka junction.