Lucknow: When their repeated pleas for action went unheeded for eight years, residents of Kalyani Vihar Colony in Indira Nagar decided to take things into their own hands.The matter was small, construction of a patch of road and repair of a damaged drain. But, Lucknow Municipal Corporation and the local corporator failed to address the issue. With no other solution in sight, residents pooled in Rs 1.5 lakh and got the stretch of the road paved with cement and the drain repaired. “The broken drain caused waterlogging in the area during the monsoon. It also overflowed frequently, spreading dirty water and creating sanitation concerns. Stagnant water also led to mosquito breeding. Once a cow fell into the drain,” said a local SP Mishra. “We met officials several times and submitted complaints in the past eight years, but nothing moved beyond assurances. Finally, we decided to fund the work ourselves,” said RK Sharma, another resident. Four house owners in the vicinity pooled money and repaired a 10-metre-long drain and paved about a 28-metre-long and 7-metre-wide road with cement. Local corporator Ranjana Awasthi, when contacted, said most roads in the ward had been constructed, except for the small portion in Kalyani Vihar due to limited funds. “We tried our best, but it is not possible to satisfy everyone,” she said.
