Sonepat Zila Parishad member protests ‘official apathy’ at waterlogged underpass

Enraged over the waterlogging at an underpass and crop loss on around 200 acres due to the “non-cleaning of a drain”, a Zila Parishad member along with a representative of the Sarpanch of Hullaheri village (Sonepat) on Sunday staged a protest by entering the underpass — with 15-ft water accumulated in it — using swimming tubes.

The protesters demanded that the drain be cleaned, and farmers’ problems be resolved on priority.

Zila Parishad member Sanjay Badwasnia along with Jagmal, Sarpanch representative of Hullaheri village, entered the underpass to protest the “lethargic attitude” of the district administration.

Badwasnia alleged that no concrete action had been initiated on ground to resolve the farmers’ problems, due to which crop was being damaged.

He claimed that the district administration was ignoring farmers’ genuine problems. No arrangements had been made to rid the underpass of waterlogging, he added.

Also, cleaning of the drain was not done properly, due to which crop had been submerged, he said.

He alleged that several accidents had occurred due to the waterlogging at the underpass, with many incidents reported of vehicles having been stuck here.

The Zila Parishad member called for crop loss compensation to be provided to affected farmers.