Kajheri: It’s the same old story — lack of amenities

Ishrat S Banwait

Chandigarh, July 29

Illegal hotels are the face of the Kajheri village. Close proximity to the Sector 43 bus terminal has produced great business for nearly 40 hotels in the village. The problem, however, is that not even five of these hotels are following the building bylaws laid down by the Municipal Corporation.

The village that falls in Sector 52 is spread over 667 acres and has a population estimated to be more than 30,000. The residents are a harrowed lot as they claim that these hotels were a hub of prostitution and betting and that the police were not willing to tackle the problem.

A major problem is poor drainage and sewerage system in the village. While the sewers get blocked and even overflow at times, the water does not drain out causing a stink due to standing water and a risk of diseases due to mosquito breeding.

Inner roads of the village are ill-maintained and broken in many places. Some streets are made of tiles which are in poor condition. The lone park of the village is deserted and crying for attention. It even has a non-functioning marble fountain in which standing water raises a stink. To add to the woes, garbage is scattered in the park and grass cover is unmaintained and the whole park wears a deserted look.

Streetlights are missing in most of the areas in the village, where a lot of drug addicts thrive and thefts are reported. Easy availability of wild marijuana and unchecked sale of correction fluid is the reason behind the increasing problem of drug addiction. A proper park, playground or stadium is needed for the youth to vent their energies elsewhere.

The village lacks a community centre or dharamshala. The residents have been demanding a sampark centre or post office in the village for quite some time now, but to no avail. Moreover, the houses of the village are not numbered which makes it difficult to locate an address.

Lack of clean drinking water is another issue cropping up in the village. Residents claim that water supply, especially in the morning, is dirty as sewer water gets mixed with it. They have been demanding replacement of water and sewer pipes for a long time, but to no avail.