Jhajjar old bus stand site now a dumpyard

Ravinder Saini 

Ever since the bus stand of Jhajjar city was shifted to the Rohtak road more than three years ago, its old premises, located in the heart of the city, is lying unused. At present, it is in a bad shape and remains waterlogged during the monsoons. It has also become a garbage dumpsite and a breeding ground for mosquitoes.  

Rehriwalas and shopkeepers dump waste and garbage there. They also use the premises to relieve themselves. The public toilet at the site is lying locked. 

Many people use the premises as a short-cut to travel to the Barfkhana road from the Ambedkar Chowk, Beri Gate, Old bus stand road and Garhi Mohalla in the city. The municipal authorities have placed dustbins at some places in nearby areas and garbage is also being collected door-to-door but residents of nearby localities do not hesitate from dumping garbage there.

“The local Haryana Roadways authorities closed the main entrance to the premises by constructing a wall after the bus stand was shifted to the new site. But after some days, local residents partially broke the wall to gain entry to the premises. Now, the broken wall is being used by rehriwalas, shopkeepers and people of surrounding colonies to dump waste and to go to the Barfkhana road,” says Om Prakash, an ex-serviceman. 

He says that the waterlogged site during the rainy season becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes as the municipal authorities have made no arrangements for the drainage of accumulated rainwater and sanitation. Even garbage being dumped on the premises is not lifted, he adds. 

Neeraj, a shopkeeper, says that as there is no parking space for vehicles around the old bus stand site, visitors park their vehicles on the road, leading to traffic jams; half of the road is already occupied by vendors. The premises can be used either for vehicle parking or for rehabilitating rehriwalas to avoid traffic congestion, he adds. 

Sources say that the municipal authorities have chalked out a plan to develop the premises as a vending zone to provide space to rehriwalas under the Haryana Street Vendor Policy. The local depot of the Haryana Roadways had recently allowed the Jhajjar Municipal Committee to utilise the premises for the purpose. 

Narendra Saini, Secretary, Jhajjar Municipal Committee, says that Jhajjar city has more than 300 street vendors and three sites in the municipal area have been proposed to be developed as vending zones, according to the guidelines of the state policy. The old bus stand site is one of them. The proposal will be placed at the next meeting of the Town Vendor Committee to be chaired by the Jhajjar Deputy Commissioner, he adds.  

“The local roadways authorities have given its nod to using the old bus stand site as a vending zone. All rehriwalas will be given proper space there. It will not only help in easing traffic congestion but also in keeping the premises clean,” says Saini.  

Mehtab Singh Kharab, General Manager, Jhajjar depot of Haryana Roadways, says that as they had no activity to run on the old bus stand premises, it had been lying vacant for the past three years. With no one to take care of it, the site remains waterlogged and has become a garbage dumpsite.

“We have written to the Deputy Commissioner for utilising the premises for development activities. The district administration had also once planned to use the premises for vehicle parking to ease traffic congestion on the main road around it but the plan did not materialise,” says Kharab.

He adds that the district administration had recently communicated to him that the site would be used for municipal activities. Though only the state Transport Department can transfer the land to other department, the permission to organise any activity in public interest can be accorded at the local level. Hence, they have given the consent for using the premises, he adds.

Three spots propsed for vending zones

Jhajjar city has more than 300 street vendors and three sites in the municipal area have been proposed to be developed as vending zones, according to the guidelines of the state policy. The old bus stand site is one of them. The proposal will be placed at the next meeting of the Town Vendor Committee. — Narendra Saini, Secretary, Jhajjar Municipal Committee

Plan to use site for parking did not materialise   

We have written to the Deputy Commissioner for utilising the premises for development activities. The district administration had also once planned to use the premises for vehicle parking to ease traffic congestion on the main road around it but the plan did not materialise. — Mehtab Singh Kharab, General Manager, Jhajjar depot, Haryana Roadways