Construction ban lifted, Hisar, Bhiwani residents heave a sigh of relief

Deepender Deswal

Construction activities remained suspended for about a month due to the ban on the ongoing works by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) as per the direction of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in view of air pollution.

The construction work on laying several roads in Hisar and Bhiwani towns came to a halt due to the ban. People, however, are suffering as a number of roads and streets are not even walkable, as it has been dug up and the construction material is lying around these sites.

Since the ban was withdrawn after the recommendation of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), people have now heaved a sigh of relief and hope the pending projects would be resumed at the earliest.

The EPCA letter stated that stone crushers/ hot-mix and ready-mix plants may be allowed to operate from 6 am to 6 pm.

In Hisar, the work on different roads and streets in the town was stalled in the absence of construction material being supplied from the stone-crushing units operating in Bhiwani district. The street of the Bank Colony in front of the PLA market has been languishing for about a year. While the contractor has dug up the road, it is yet to be carpeted resulting in inconvenience to motorists. There are many potholes in the street and even water remains stagnant at several points, which is turning into a breeding ground of mosquitoes.

The Adarsh Nagar locality in front of Hisar cantonment, too, has been waiting for the repair of the road, which was dug up for laying the sewerage. The work was stopped about two months ago and has not started yet. Prashant, a social activist, said scanty rains have resulted in the inundation of roads, which are filled with sludge. The work on the construction of road in Gandhi Nagar on Kaimari Road, too, has been affected due to the non-availability of material.

The repair work of a road in Krishna Nagar locality in Hisar started yesterday, as the officials said the construction material would be available for completion. The roads and streets in Bhiwani town, too, are facing similar situation. There are about 30 roads in the town that require immediate repair and relaying.

Preetam Saini, a councillor of Ward Number 15, said: "The work is likely to resume on all pending projects, especially repair and construction of roads. Incomplete works are proving a major inconvenience, as these have been dug up and are filled with drain water. Now, we are hopeful that the problem will be resolved soon."