Shimla Ward Watch - Boileauganj: Congested road triggers snarl-ups, safety concerns

Navneet Rathore

Shimla, March 13

The congested road that passes through the main market in the Boileauganj ward of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) is a major cause of concern for locals and shopkeepers.

They always fear of being hit by some vehicle besides facing delay due to traffic jams in emergency situations.

Named after British Army Engineer Major General John Theophilus Boileau and his brother, Boileauganj is about a km from the Himachal Pradesh University, Summerhill, due to which there is a heavy vehicular traffic here on a daily basis. Long queues of vehicles can be witnessed on the road during the office hours in morning and evening.

Pramod, a resident of Boileauganj ward who also runs a shop in the market, said the curves here were supposed to be widened, but nothing had been done. He added that several shops from the market were to be shifted, but this too did not happen. “Due to long traffic jams office goers and students are worst-hit.

Vinay Puri, another resident of the ward, said it was very difficult, especially for kids, to cross the road. The curves posed a danger of accidents and many mishaps had also occurred here, he added. Puri said there was also the fear of getting late in case of a medical emergency.

Residents of the ward complained that a public park in the area was damaged due to torrential rains during the monsoon season. They lamented that public toilet in the market needed proper upkeep as it was often dirty and did not have water.

Boileauganj councillor Daleep Thapa said traffic jams due to the congested road was indeed a big problem. He said many people also parked their vehicles on the roadside due to the lack of parking space in the ward, which further led to the jams. He added that efforts were being made to resolve this issue.

The councillor said a Rs 15 lakh tender had been floated for the park restoration work and the work would start soon.