Shimla Nagrik Sabha demand to change PM Modi's rally venue from The Ridge

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 24

Shimla Nagrik Sabha has urged the Prime Minister’s Office and the state government to shift the venue for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally, scheduled for May 31, from The Ridge to Annadale ground. The sabha has made the request in view of the sinking Ridge and the already cracked and repaired water tank beneath it.

“There’s over a 100-year-old water tank beneath the Ridge that supplies water to 40 per cent areas of the city. The tank has started developing crack since 2017. In 2020, the cracks got wider and had to be repaired. In the light of all this, it would be dangerous to gather thousands of people on the Ridge,” said Nagrik Sabha convener and former Mayor Sanjay Chauhan.

Apart from the water tank, a portion of the Ridge has been sinking over the last couple of years and the stabilization work is yet to start.

Besides, the Shimla Nagrik Sabha said the preparation for the Prime Minister’s rally in the heart of the city has thrown routine life out of gear. “Traffic jams have become frequent due to these preparations. The distance that is usually covered in 10 minutes is taking an hour or more to cover. Schoolchildren and office goers are the worse hit,” said Chauhan.

“As the day of the rally will come closer, these problems will increase further with increased barricading. This will cause a lot of inconvenience to the locals as well as tourists,” he said.

If the venue is shifted to Annadale ground, which is located on the outer edges of the city, the public will face less inconvenience.

The Nagrik Sabha has expressed the hope that the Prime Minister will announce financial package for the state and the previous announcement, too, would be implemented.

Reasons cited

The Shimla Nagrik Sabha has made the request in view of the sinking Ridge and the already cracked and repaired water tank beneath it. Besides, it said PM’s rally in the heart of the city has thrown routine life out of gear.

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