In Uttar Pradesh, Motigarpur village’s seven-year woes of the bad road came to an end after a video helped to construct a new road.
The road from Motigarpur Village of Sitapur Janpath, Uttar Pradesh, was filled with potholes. For more than seven years, people waited for the road to be repaired, until Harishankar made a video about the issue, and appealed to the government authorities to intervene.
Motigarpur village is located 1.5 km away from the Mahmoodabad-Biswan link road. This road, which connects the village to major cities, was formerly filled with potholes. For over seven years, people in the village were facing accidents, vehicles ramming into holes, and inconvenient commutes. “This route is frequently used by commuters on bicycles and tractors. The tractor drivers often get stuck on the road because there is barely space and it is filled with potholes which makes it even more difficult for them to drive”, said local villager Sanjay Kumar. The residents of Motigarpur repeatedly raised this concern, but all in vain.
India’s roads have long faced problems with potholes, poor construction, and inadequate drainage. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGS) was launched on 25th December 2000 as a fully funded, centrally-sponsored scheme to provide all-weather road connectivity in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh. In 2016, the Road, Transport and Highway Ministry announced that the central government would invest Rs. 2 trillion for road development in the state over the next 2.5 years. Despite taking all these safety measures, Uttar Pradesh reported a death toll of 4,415 people from road accidents occurring due to potholes over the last five years.
Community correspondent Harishankar saw the poor condition of the road in Motigarpur village, which was causing hardship for nearly 5,000 residents. Determined to help the community, he made a video to help change the state of the road. Harishankar helped the community in writing an appeal to the block administration, and the letter was then sent to higher government authorities. Within three months, the Junior Engineer was held accountable to intervene in this matter, and the government sanctioned Rs. 14,92,000 to construct a new road.
“Your effort has got us this road built, which have made the lives of me and my 5,000 villagers easier. There is no trouble to commute nowadays, and we are extremely grateful to you and your organisation”, says Kumar. Harishankar feels inspired from this impactful change. He now hopes to continue mobilising and spreading awareness in his community.
Video by Community Correspondent Harishankar
Article by Grace Jolliffe, a member of the VV Editorial Team.
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