In Ghaziabad, residents are living in fear as unguarded pits dug for infrastructure projects pose serious safety hazards. Poonam Tyagi, a 37-year-old mother of three, arrives at the bus stop 10 minutes early daily to pick up her 9-year-old son. She worries he might trip into a pit dug 10 meters from her apartment complex in Indirapuram, Shipra Shristi, nearly 15 days ago.
Widespread Problem Across Ghaziabad
Several areas, including Indirapuram, Vaishali, Vasundhra, and Crossings Republik, have been excavated for over a month to lay concrete footpaths, pipelines, and repair damaged ones under CM-GRID projects. Most sites lack proper barricades, endangering pedestrians and commuters. A TOI team observed misplaced barricades, either on roads or atop soil mounds.
Tyagi expressed her fear: "I am scared for my son. There are no barricades to slow vehicles. For the amount we pay, safety standards are very low. Complaints to the GMC have gone unheard."
Nighttime Dangers for Commuters
Karmveer Singh, a porter, recounted a near-fatal incident: "I was delivering an order in Ahimsa Khand. A car's tire fell into a pit; I braked hard and fell off my bike. If I had been speeding or without a helmet, I would have died."
Biresh Gupta, a Vaishali resident, criticized the government: "They dig pits and don't cover them. Iron rods protrude from ditches. Imagine not noticing in the dark. Who is accountable?"
Contractor Delays and Blame Game
Contractor Sushil Aggarwal, awarded a contract a month ago, only started work on Sunday due to labor shortages. He admitted, "I have the contract for footpaths. At this pace, it will take over a month." When asked about safety nets, he said it was the municipal corporation's responsibility.
GMC's chief engineer, NK Chaudhury, stated, "These CM-GRID works will take about 1.5 years to complete and prevent flooding during rains." He added that contractors are responsible for barricades, and notices have been issued. "Labourers do not put barricades back. We will check and replace them."
