Shimla Ward Watch Bhatta Kuffar: Lack of parking facility causes jams

Navneet Rathore

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Shimla, May 12

The lack of parking facilities near the Fruit Market in the Bhatta Kuffar ward of the Shimla Municipal Corporation has become a major headache for residents, especially commuters, as they have to face daily traffic jams due to vehicles parked on the roadside.

The situation gets worse during the apple season when the number of vehicles plying on the Dhalli-Mehli-Shoghi road increases manifold. Ramesh, a resident of the Bhatta Kuffar ward, said people had to face a lot of inconvenience due to the traffic jams caused by the lack of space for parking vehicles in the area. “A large number of vehicles are parked on the roadside, hindering the smooth flow of traffic. Students and office-goers get late every day due to the traffic jams.”

The residents also complained of the lack of regular drinking water supply to the ward. They said the supply was erratic as at times they received water after a gap of three to four days.

Talking to The Tribune, councillor Narinder Thakur said the municipal corporation could not create parking facility here as it did not have its land in the ward and only private owned parking facilities were available. He said APMC owned land in the ward where a parking facility can be constructed.

On the issue of the erratic drinking water supply, he said the supply had been adversely affected ever since the responsibility was handed over to a new company. “They keep on hiking the charges every year, but fail to ensure proper water supply despite making claims of providing round-the-clock supply,” he said.

Thakur added that a one-way road from Bhatta Kuffar to Cemetery was being constructed, and it would reduce the distance between the two places. He said the road would be ready within the next one-and-a-half month. “At present, people have to travel 6 to 7 km to reach Dhalli Tunnel from Bhatta Kuffar, but once the road is built, it will take just five minutes to cover the distance,” he added.