In protest against the dilapidated condition of Hum-Tum Road in Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar Extension, residents from seven societies in the area united on Sunday to hold a road show and a sit-in protest. The protest, which began at 12:30 PM, saw the participation of people from Diya Green, Nilaya Green, Mehak Jeevan, Moti Residency, Meadows Vista, Sanchar Arcade Residency, and Raj Vilas Society. The demonstration concluded at around 2:30 PM, following police intervention.
During this time, residents were assured that a discussion regarding their problem would be arranged with the relevant GDA (Ghaziabad Development Authority) officials on Saturday evening. The protesters stated that the condition of this road has been extremely dilapidated for the past four years. On this route, used daily by about 5,000 people, deep potholes, a broken road surface, waterlogging during rainfall, a lack of streetlights, and the uncontrolled movement of heavy vehicles are causing frequent serious accidents.
People allege that many have lost their lives in these accidents so far, while some have also been left permanently disabled. Residents said that multiple complaints have been filed with the GDA regarding the poor state of the road, but so far, neither a temporary nor a permanent solution has been provided.
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During the road show, protesters were seen carrying banners and chanting slogans. They demanded immediate action from the administration, chanting slogans such as 'No Road, No Vote' and 'No Public Facilities, No Tax'. The protesters are demanding that Hum-Tum Road be immediately constructed or repaired to make it pothole-free.
Additionally, they demand that white lines, adequate streetlights, reflectors, and safety indicators be installed on the road. In view of the increasing traffic, a demand for the road's widening has also been made.
“If the condition of the road is not improved soon, we will be forced to take the protest to a much larger scale, for which the administration will be fully responsible,” said Deepak Tyagi, resident of Nilaya Greens Society.
“So far, 15-20 people have lost their lives. The situation has gone from bad to worse over the last three years; many people have been injured and disabled. We have been pleading with the government and the administration. Now, our patience has run out, said Murari Lal Sharma, AOA Vice President, Mehak Jeevan Society.
Prashant Tyagi, a resident of Moti Residency, said that on December 2, 2024, while riding a two-wheeler on Hum-Tum Road, a tipper truck hit him from behind, causing him to fall to his right side, and the tipper truck ran over his arm. He said that the road should be constructed as soon as possible so that the accident that happened to him does not happen to anyone else.
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Demanding the construction of Hum-Tum Road, a large number of people marched from Diya Green Society to Delhi-Meerut Road at 12:30 PM on Saturday. This brought traffic coming from Raj Nagar Extension to a complete standstill. Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles also formed for about 500 metres on Hum-Tum Road. After police intervention and assurances, traffic flow was restored at around 2:30 PM.
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