Residents of Makarpura, including 50 societies, are upset over the stench of garbage heaps: 'Crores of rupees went into the pockets of BJP leaders in the name of smart city', allege Vaddala locals allege that the city was mixed to collect taxes

While the municipal elections are in full swing in the state, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation elections are also being held. At that time, Bhaskar's team has reached Ward No. 19 of Vadodara city, where what kind of development has taken place, what is the situation of the entire area. What do the people here want? The new area in Ward No. 19 also includes Vaddala village. What is the mood and anger of the people here will be known in this ground report.Garbage from the entire city is dumped at the dumping site located on the national highway between Tarsali and Jambua Bridge in Vadodara city. As a result, there is a huge pile of garbage. As a result, 40 to 50 residents of nearby societies and Makarpura villages are suffering from the stench. Apart from this, the operators of the hotels on the highway are also frustrated. People don't even come to eat in the hotel. As a result, businesses have also come to a standstill. Rakesh Patil, a local leader from Tarsali area, said that crores of rupees came in the name of 'smart city' in Vadodara, but it seems to have gone only in the pockets of BJP leaders. Locals of Vadadala alleged that we were mixed into the city just to collect taxes and do not get any facilities. People in Indira Nagar don't get water, forced to buy bottles with their own money The people of Ward No. 19 of Vadodara city are still deprived of basic facilities. Drainage, water, street lights and road problems have plagued the people here. Despite repeated representations to resolve these issues, there has been no solution to their problems. Due to this, there is a lot of anger among the people of Ward No. 19. The first thing we did was to reach Indira Nagar, where people don't have access to water. People ask for bottles to spend money to drink. There is a lot of anger among the people here that they get basic facilities like water despite paying taxes. The roads are bumpy, water enters the houses during the monsoon The drains also overflow here. Ambulances cannot come as the roads in their area are narrow. If there is a fire, even the fire brigade vehicle cannot reach. The roads here are bumpy. Due to this, senior citizens often fall and accidents also occur. Apart from this, the electric poles are in a state of collapse, due to which there is an atmosphere of fear. In the rainy season, water enters the houses. As a result, the furniture of the house is also soaked. 'We pay taxes regularly, yet there is no facility' Hiraben, a local woman from Indiranagar, said, "There is a lot of problem with this road. If we go for a walk, we stumble and sometimes we fall. I myself have fallen two or three times. The road is so bad that it is difficult to walk and even the bikers often slip and fall here. 'There is no leader in our area' The local Heeraben further said that the water tap line has not yet arrived. We get water by boring. The pipes have come but no one has come to lay them. We have also collected 3000-3000 rupees per house but the work is not done. No leader comes here to see. There is no leader in our area. 'A young boy was electrocuted by an open wire' Sonalben Joshi, a local woman from Indiranagar, said it was a problem with electric poles. These pillars have become so low and are in such a condition that they can fall at any time. One of the pillars has gone in and is on the verge of falling. A young boy was electrocuted due to these exposed wires in the monsoon. The boy's father was in Dubai, but the public gathered here and somehow saved the child's life. These wires are very low, which is very dangerous. 'Provide drinking water and sewerage facilities' The local woman further said, "Our demand is very clear. We need new poles, replace these dangerous wires, fix the roads and provide drinking water and drainage. Open drain stench and mosquito infestation The Bhaskar team reached Tarsali Bypass on Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway No. 48 ahead of Indira Nagar, where sewage water has been released into an open drain. Due to which there is a foul smell and mosquito infestation. People are falling prey to the disease. "This is the constituency of Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi. Rakesh Patil, a local leader of Tarsali area, said, "There has been no development in ward number 19 in the last 30 years. The situation is the same today as it was 30 years ago. You can see the condition of this drain. Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi, Manjalpur MLA Yogesh Patel and ward number 19 corporators Ghanshyam Patel, Alpesh Limbachiya and Hemlataben Tadvi are in the constituency. The work done by these people is clearly visible here. 'Locals are upset, but neither the administration nor the leaders are ready to listen to anything' Rakesh Patil further said that this is an entire residential area and it is from here that the entry to Vadodara is from the highway. The first thing a person sees when he enters a city is these open drains and drains. Is this called a smart city? Due to this drain, there is a lot of mosquito menace here. 'We are mixed in the city just to collect taxes, don't get any facilities' The area of Vadodara city is gradually increasing, including Vaddala village. This includes the societies that come before Vaddala village. Divya Bhaskar's team reached out to the societies and the residents here are also deprived of basic facilities. A new water tank has been built here but the residents here still struggle for water. There is a complete lack of street lights here. At night, the road becomes deserted. Here people say that we have been merged in the city just to collect taxes, we don't get any facilities. They seem to live in the village. No leader comes here to see. 'The biggest problem is roads and lights' Mangabhai Rathod, a resident of Tirth Exotica Society on Vadadala Road, said, "The biggest problem is the road and lights. The street lights on the road do not turn on on time and in many places it remains dark due to the distance between the lights. Secondly, the work on this road has been incomplete for years. They leave it in a pile on the road. Due to this, many senior citizens have had accidents in the dark at night, but this does not come to the notice of the system. 'There is no benefit after merging with Vadodara, only loss' Mangabhai Rathore further said that many years have passed since the water tank was built. Water has started in the surrounding areas but water is still not available in our society. When we go to make a presentation, they ask us to pay for the connection. If we talk to the builder, he also promises 'I will fill it, I will fill it'. We have been merged with Vadodara in the name of tax but the facility is zero. If there is a delay in paying taxes, they charge interest, but no one pays interest for not providing the facility. Our men and builders have been pushing for three or four waters. The people of the society have also gone to make a presentation, but from there they give a sweet reply and then forget everything. After merging us with Vadodara, there has been no gain, only losses. 'Water crisis still in 15-20 societies' Kiran Makwana, a resident of Tirth Exotica Society on Vadadala Road, said, "We have been living in this society since 2013. In 2019, the area came under the corporation, but so far we have not got any basic facilities of the corporation. Neither a corporator nor a minister has visited us nor addressed our problems. A water tank has been built here and water facilities have been made available in the new town at the beginning of Vadadala Road as well as in Vaddala village. 'What is the point of taking this tax if we don't get basic amenities?' Kiran Makwana further said, "We have been paying taxes for years, but we don't know for what facility this tax is levied. If we don't get basic facilities, then what is the use of this tax? The road work has been left incomplete. As the elections approach, the work has stopped. The chambers built on the road are one and a half to two feet high, which is very dangerous. Yesterday, when I was riding a two-wheeler, a bus coming from the opposite direction, I had to brake suddenly because of these high chambers, there is a complete danger of accidents. My request is that development should not be limited to a few areas of Vadodara only, but focus on this too. 'Leaders come only during elections, others don't' Harminder Kaur Sandhu, a local woman, said, "We are going to vote honestly, but no one is ready to come here. It is very difficult. There are so many potholes on the road that if you drive, your stomach hurts. If someone meets with an accident or falls ill, we only know how to take him to the hospital. In the rainy season, knee-deep water accumulates. There is also the problem of drinking water and we pay taxes in full, but we do not get any facilities. 'Everybody just says 'yes' and shows up only during elections' He further said, "We have made a lot of representations, we have spoken, but no one is ready to listen. Everybody just says 'yes, we will do it' and only shows up at the time of elections. At the moment, it seems that everyone has become deaf and dumb. As the saying goes, 'Andheri Nagani Gundu Raja, Takke Sher Bhaji Ne Takke Sher Khaja' – the same is the situation here. 'Even the ambulance can't go in' Ward No. of Vadodara. Surendrasinh Raj, Congress president of Ward 19, said, "There are many serious problems in ward number 19, especially in the slum areas and behind the depot. There is a shortage of drinking water in the slum areas and no proper drainage facilities. The roads here are so narrow that even the ambulance cannot go in in case of an emergency, such as delivery or any other fatal event. There is a push by societies on the main road which is not being removed. We have made several representations to the corporation in this regard but no concrete action has been taken. 'If you win by getting votes in the name of Modi, you don't even roam around the area' Ward No. Surendrasinh Raj, Congress president of the 19th Congress, said, "The corporators here are not even known to the people of the area. They win only by getting votes in the name of Modi ji, but they do not roam around the area after winning. It remains to be seen whether people will bring about a change this time. There are many people who work, but unless there is a change, the fate of the people of this region is not going to change. People are deprived of facilities and now they will decide what kind of governance they want. We have done road, water and drainage works: Ex-corporator Ghanshyam Patel, a former BJP councillor from ward number 19, said, "We have prepared our report card. Due to our joint efforts in my ward number 19, works worth about Rs 375 crore have been done in our ward alone. We have done road, water and sewerage works. Ghanshyam Patel further said that the main entry of Vadodara has been made very nicely. The road from the junction of Tarsali Ward 19 to the highway, which was left overflowing, has been increased by constructing an RCC road and increasing its height. The 18-metre road to Uma Vidyalaya has also been started and the road from Sardar Patel Statue to Ravi Park has also been approved, which will start soon. 'Work has come to a halt as labourers have gone home due to the festival' Ghanshyam Patel said that the water network has been set up at a cost of Rs 24 crore. On Vaddala Road, the old societies have to apply to the corporation and get a survey done and pay the necessary money for water connection. I myself have gone to the society and informed people about this process. Those who complete the procedure are getting connections. He further said that in addition to this, most of the water and sewerage works have been completed in Indira Nagar (A to E part) under the Rs 1500 scheme. Only one stretch is left where work has come to a halt as labourers have gone home due to the Holi festival. As soon as Holi is over, that work will also be completed. Stones in narrow lanes and carpets on major roads All approvals have been obtained for Silcot Road.