Janakpurdham Road Hazard: Uncovered Chamber Poses Danger to Pedestrians and Vehicles

Janakpurdham. A gaping hole is visible in the middle of the road on the road section of Ramanand Chowk, Saketnagar, Janakpurdham-9. There is a drain beneath the hole. Therefore, locals have expressed outrage, stating that pedestrians and various vehicles using the road are at risk of accidents.

The contractor's procrastination in installing the manhole cover over the drain chamber has been increasing the risk of daily accidents. Hundreds of jeeps, e-rickshaws, and motorcycles commute daily through this route from Ramanand Chowk to Sankatmochan Temple, Devi Chowk, and the railway station.

Currently, a pit approximately 1 meter long, half a meter wide, and about 2 feet deep is visibly gaping in the middle of the road. The absence of a manhole cover over the drain in the middle of the road not only causes inconvenience to pedestrians and vehicles but also increases the risk of accidents. While motorcycles can somehow cross this road, e-rickshaws, jeeps, and cars face significant difficulty.

Local Anil Jha said, 'This is the result of the government hastily carrying out development construction to finish the budget at the end of the financial year. The contractor has already received payment for the work. What concern do they have now? The public has to suffer.'

He stated that the public suffers due to development construction work happening through a collusion between the contractor and the Infrastructure Development Office. Jha mentioned that when he tried to inquire about this with the contractor and the site engineer of the office, Jyoti Saha, they were unreachable by phone.

A secondary school is also located on this road section, with its main entrance falling on this part of the road, and the main entrance of the hospital also faces this road section. Hundreds of students also use this road to go to and from school.

Local Sanjeev Karna said, 'A week ago, during heavy rain, a motorcycle accident occurred in this water-covered section. There were no lights at night, and the motorcycle suddenly overturned, but the rider survived because they were thrown towards the side of the road.'

Ward Chairman Parmeshwar Sah complained that the contractor does not answer his calls, saying, 'This is a blatant بازی with the public in the name of development construction. It is the fault of the concerned office.' He added that if this is not rectified, he will not be able to withstand the public's pressure.

Tapeshwar Sah, who operates a grocery store on this road section, commented on this as a consequence of the locals not uniting. He said, 'First, they dug up the paved road and put gravel in the name of drainage, making the road condition like this. Furthermore, releasing payment to the contractor without installing covers on the main chamber and its sides is a model of negligence.'

The Madhesh government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, had called for tenders in Jestha for the work of digging up this road and installing underground hume pipes for drainage and constructing road side chambers. The contract for this work, which was called through e-bidding, was secured by local Manvi Construction. This construction company started the work a week before the end of the financial year and completed it in 10-12 days.

When attempts were made to inquire about this matter with Bipin Mahara, the manager of the construction company, he was unwilling to come into contact. Site engineer Jyoti Saha of the Infrastructure Development Office, which awarded the contract, also did not wish to be contacted.

Local Anil Jha said, 'The site engineer does not come to the field and evaluates from the office itself. Budget is released based on that, even though the work is not completed.'

The Ministry of Infrastructure had allocated a budget of 30 lakh for the 167-meter-long drainage work on this road. The contractor has moved on after doing half-finished work under the same contract.