Shimla, Oct 5 Ritanjali Hastir
On one hand where the City’s administration is all set to make Shimla a smart city, on the other we have the contradictory ground reality of the different wards and areas in the Queen of Hills that are not even close to the decent basic necessities.
Shankly area falling under Ward 2 of the Municipal Corporation Shimla area is waiting for the auspicious day on which the open drain will be covered and people walking in dark will not fear any serious injury. It has been nearly a month since when the work of the drain was started and after reducing the width of the stairs, the area has been left wide open that can lead to a serious injury anyone.
A very narrow passage has been left for people to cross and to add icing to the cake the drain is left in open without any proper connectivity. The spot in question does not even have a proper street light and with monkeys adding to the woes of the resident of the area, is an open invitation for a mishap.
A couple of years ago on request of the residents, the stairs were widened as tight spot did not leave much room for movement for senior citizens and so much so as even taking a bier from the tight spot was a herculean task.
Commenting on the situation councilor of ward Sanjeev Thakur informed that the contractor is preparing the covers for the drain and soon it will be taken care of. However, the interrogating question still remains what good are these contractors that take so long to finish a job and what kind of ‘Smart City’ the concerned authorities aim at when they fail to address the basic and genuine needs of the residents?
