Pratapgarh village's damaged culvert gets surface repair, safety concerns remain

Villagers in gram sabha Gopalapur Jhingur in Pratapgarh district are grappling with multiple infrastructure problems including damaged roads, absence of drains and poor water drainage systems, and authorities have drawn sharp criticism for what residents describe as a cosmetic repair job over a broken culvert that leaves the fundamental structural problem unaddressed and poses a serious accident risk.

The main road passing through the village has a culvert that has been damaged, yet instead of carrying out proper reconstruction work, the authorities have merely applied tar and gravel over the surface to repair the road. Villagers have expressed anger over this approach, stating that the core problem with the culvert has not been resolved and that an accident could happen at any time. According to residents, the damaged culvert lies on the route that runs from Balipur through Gopalapur Jhingur to Maheshganj. The potholes that have formed around the culvert and the poor condition of the road cause significant difficulty for vehicle drivers during commuting. The situation becomes even more dangerous at night, villagers say.

Residents allege that without undertaking permanent reconstruction of the culvert, only the surface of the road has been repaired. They argue that merely laying tar and gravel over the damaged culvert will not provide a lasting solution to the problem. Questions are also being raised about the strength of the culvert and the durability of the road. Villagers have demanded that officials from the concerned department conduct an on-site inspection and examine the condition of the culvert. They have raised the question: if the culvert is not repaired in time and an accident occurs in the future, who will be held responsible?

The absence of drains in the village has led to waterlogging on the roads. Because there is no proper drainage system in place, rainwater accumulates on the roads. Water remains standing on the unpaved paths for extended periods, affecting movement and travel. Waterlogging and mud are causing hardship to villagers, schoolchildren and passersby alike. Villagers say the drainage problem has persisted for a long time, but no permanent solution has been implemented. The standing water is also damaging the unpaved paths at various places.

According to villagers, information about the village's problems has already been provided to the gram pradhan. Residents have demanded the construction of drains, improvement in the drainage system, repair of the unpaved paths and construction of the damaged culvert on the main road in accordance with proper standards. They have called on the administration to take cognizance of the matter and ensure permanent construction of the culvert and repair of the village's drainage system.

Villagers Saurabh Yadav, Vipin Gautam, Jagmohan Pal, Surat Nirmal, Harilal Saroj, Pawan Pandey and Babbu Yadav have demanded a speedy resolution of the problem from the administration and the concerned department.