Vadodara: For years, this area was nobody’s child as it was neither part of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) nor under Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA). So, in recent years, when people started living in fast-developing residential schemes in Kalali, the area did not have proper roads nor there were any drainage lines or water connections.
Now, Kalali, as well as Bill, come under VMC’s jurisdiction and the residents will vote for the first time in the upcoming civic body polls. Interestingly, even before starting development work here, VMC has started collecting tax and residents here feel the local infrastructure will be a major factor during the polls.
“We do not have proper motorable roads and in absence of a proper drainage network, the dirty water overflows on the road and in the nearby farms. Several representations have been made but to no avail. But hopefully, VMC will now do something,” said Dalsukh Parmar, a resident of Bil.
He added that during the monsoon months commuters have to take a longer route as the roads are completely inundated. In the past, before the VMC took over the areas, the developers of the residential projects had connected their drainage lines with VMC’s network, but the elected leaders of the civic body got it disconnected.
The central government too had announced drinking water to all households but in Kalali and Bil the residents rely on brackish groundwater. “We have to rely on groundwater which has a TDS level of around 1,100. If they have covered our area under their jurisdiction then at least proving clean drinking water should be their priority,” said Mayur Shah, a snacks trader living in Bil.
A road was laid by VUDA connecting Kalali and Bil with Vadsar, but several pockets still remain disconnected. Residents living near the Bil-Padra canal road have also made several representations to reconstruct the road. “Only one road has been constructed so far and that too not by VMC. All other roads are not motorable, so VMC should take that up too among other projects,” said Mahesh Desai, a resident of Kalali.