Frustrated with waterlogging, residents block road and protest against Bally Municipality

Even after the monsoon is long gone, many areas in Bally assembly area is waterlogged turning daily life into a nightmare for thousands of families. Tired of repeated complaints, the angry residents of Liluah Bhattnagar took to the streets today morning. They put bamboo barricades across the bustling Rabindra Sarani crossing and completely blocked the busy road for hours. Vehicles were stuck in long queues while protesters raised slogans against Bally Municipality for not preventing waterlog situations failing to clean drains and fix the drainage system.

Local people claims that knee-deep dirty water stands in front of their houses for days, entering homes. The stagnant water has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and with terrible bad smell all over the area. Children and elderly people are falling sick with fever and stomach problems almost every week. Residents blames the municipality for not doing regular cleaning and repairing broken pipes, because of which even normal rain turns the area into a pond.

Traffic came to a standstill for several hours until Howrah City Police officers and municipal officials reached the spot and promised quick action. Only then did the protesters lift the blockade. People have warned that they will hit the streets again if waterlog situation won't resolve with drains are not cleaned and pumps installed before the next rain. Everyone just wants to walk on dry roads and sleep without the buzz of mosquitoes.