Dharamsala ward watch - Ramnagar: Residents grapple with haphazard parking on roads, stray dog menace

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, February 8

Ramnagar, Dharamsala’s ward number 11, is reeling under the problems of

lack of parking, a public

park, besides the menace of stray dogs.

Residents of the ward allege that traffic jams in the area have become a norm, especially during the morning and evening hours when the buses come in to pick up and drop off schoolchildren.

Vikas Sharma, a resident of Ram Nagar, said most people living in the area have cars but no parking space. They generally park their vehicles on the road passing though the Ram Nagar area. This further squeezes the already narrow roads passing though the area. Whenever school buses come for picking up or dropping off students traffic jam are witnessed, he said.

He added that the Municipal Corporation of Dharamsala should create some common parking places in the area so that the people who do not have parking space can station their vehicles after paying a nominal fee.

Besides those who are parking their vehicles along the roads in a haphazard manner should be penalised by police, Vikas said.

The residents of the area also complain of menace of stray dogs in the area. Anupama Thakur, a local, said population of stray dogs was increasing in the area. One can see groups of 10 to 20 stray dogs roaming in the area without any fear.

They keep on barking at night making it impossible for the residents to have a sound sleep. The increasing number of stray dogs is also a threat to small children playing in the streets.

Sandeep Kumar, another resident of the area, said there was no public park available in the area where the children can play and senior citizens can walk or sit in leisure. “Under Smart City mission about Rs 600 crore has been spent in Dharamsala city. However, it was unfortunate that in many wards no public parks have been constructed. In Ramnagar ward also, there was no public park. For the children of the area where was no public park to play. This affects the socialisation of children in the area. The MC should locate some public place and construct parks in the ward,” he said.