ROORKEE: Residents of Roorkee’s Krishna Nagar Colony protested against persistent waterlogging on Lane 20 by putting up “On Sale” notices outside their houses and shops on Thursday.
The road, which is around 60-foot-wide and connects around a dozen villages, has been plagued by waterlogging over a half-kilometre stretch for years due to the lack of a proper drainage system.
Protesters announced a boycott of the upcoming urban local body (ULB) elections, accusing politicians of making “grand promises” during polls and disappearing afterward. The road serves as a vital link to villages such as Salempur, Sohalpur, Sunehri, and Khata Khedi and is lined with about 400 shops, dozens of houses, and even a school.
Social worker Deepak Laakhwan, who led the protest, set up a stage on the waterlogged road and said, “The municipal elections are around the corner. All of us have decided to boycott this election. From MPs and MLAs to the mayor and councillors, they all give us assurances during elections but vanish afterward.”
Julie Saini, a resident, also shared her struggles: “I run a small provision store from my residence and am the sole earner in my family. Due to this waterlogging, no customers visit my shop, nor do visitors come to my home. Everyone here is facing the same issue and is despairingly planning to sell their properties because no one is listening to us.”
The administration acknowledged the issue, saying there is a need for a master plan to resolve it. Joint magistrate Ashish Kumar Mishra told TOI, “This issue has been going on for a long time. The solution lies in creating a comprehensive drainage system in the area. We will prepare our report and send it to the govt very soon.”
