Members of RWAs at Panchkula Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal’s office on Wednesday. (Source: Jaipal Singh)
CITY RESIDENT welfare associations (RWAs) on Wednesday wrote to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar about the “mindless installation” of too many rumble strips on Panchkula roads by the civic body. The residents also demanded a vigilance inquiry into it.
Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta, meanwhile, ordered an inquiry after he learnt that no tender had been called for the rumble strips.
Talking to Chandigarh Newsline, Gupta said, “I have just inquired and I was surprised to know that no tender was called for the purchase. I am smelling a rat and I have asked the MC officials to submit to me all the facts as to why, at what cost and where all these speed breakers have been installed.”
In order to tell the inconvenience being faced by residents and how risky it was, the RWA chiefs also met Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal, telling him to just ride pillion on a two-wheeler and cross the road where rumble strips have been installed.
“We have asked him to just sit with us on a two-wheeler or even a car and drive across the road where these strips are installed. But he didn’t respond. If these strips are not removed, we will stage a protest outside the Municipal Corporation office. We won’t tolerate such high-handedness,” said Tarsem Garg, president of the Sector 7 RWA.
Jogpal, however, contacted road safety consultant Navdeep Asija to conduct an inspection and safety audit on Thursday. He has also fixed a meeting of RWAs with the consultant on Thursday.
Jogpal said that he had already asked the technical wing to stop the installation of rumble strips till the road safety consultant gave his opinion. However, many strips were installed at Sector 6 on Tuesday evening.
In the letter to the CM, it was specified that too many rumble strips were installed and a few residents, especially two-wheeler drivers, including girls and women, had met with an accident.
A letter to the CM, written by S K Nayar, President of the Citizens Welfare Association, stated, “The question of installation of these rumble strips on internal roads is a valid fear for the residents as they are facing great hardships in driving their vehicles even for a petty work. The Municipal Corporation, Panchkula, has installed these rumble strips and cat’s eye so closely that at least eight rumble strips have been installed at a close distance of about 200 metres, in most of the sectors, such as 6, 7, 8, 16, 14, 20, 21, MDC 4, 5, etc. These rumble strips are very much harmful while these have been installed on internal roads of sectors because most of the children unknowingly drive their vehicles or two-wheelers and they meet with accident almost daily.”
Sector 12 RWA chief Rakesh Aggarwal has also sent out a tweet to CM.
Talking to Chandigarh Newsline, Navdeep Asija said, “I will be coming tomorrow and conduct a physical inspection of all such roads and wherever it is not necessary, we will tell them to remove those.” When asked if his view was taken before installing or any report had been submitted by him on the installation of the rumble strips, he said, “I was roped in some 15 days ago. On this issue, in fact, I didn’t submit any report because the work of installation of these speed breakers was already on. But I feel that for the safety of residents, these speed breakers are necessary, especially when road quality improves. But in case some have been installed unnecessarily, they will be removed.”