Adilabad people's long wait for Tamsi railway overbridge continues
In 2016, the Central government had sanctioned Rs. 25 crores for the project but the traffic and the resultant woes of the locals remain.
By Nimisha S Pradeep Published on 5 Oct 2021 10:31 AM GMT
Adilabad: Before leaving their homes, people of Adilabad calculate the potential delays and start accordingly if they have to cross the railway gate between Umram and Adilabad stations en-route to their destinations. Narrow roads add to their woes as traffic clearance takes a long time even after the gate opens.
The wait is mandatory for all vehicles despite their varying emergencies. Be it a school bus carrying kids to school or an ambulance rushing with a man battling for life. "Casualitlies kayi bar huva hain. Voh normal hai (Several times there have been casualties. But that's normal)," remarks Junaid Ahmed, a social activist from Khursheed Nagar in Adilabad who led the protests demanding a railway bridge.
Forty per cent of the people of Adilabad live on the other side of the railway gate. It is also a heavy traffic route as vehicles from neighbouring state of Maharashtra enter Telangana crossing this railway gate. Once every two hours, the railway gate closes for almost 15-30 minutes. "If it's the cotton season, it could take up to one hour or more to clear the traffic as the cotton market is located near the railway gate," adds Mr. Ahmed. The overbridge is expected to eliminate this delay and also allow heavy vehicles that go in and out of the city without interruption.
A place mostly deprived of other transportation options, this overbridge is going to secure its residents a respite from local autos and private vehicles. "Local autos and commercial vehicles always refuse to go to this area fearing the frequent gate closures," points out Mr. Ahmed.
Despite the constant approaches made by the people to meet and raise their issues to the administration, their efforts remain in vain. "Scarcity of funds, they say," says Nikhini Varma of NGO Nirrnay in Adilabad.
In the railway budget 2016, the Central government had sanctioned Rs. 25 crores for the construction of the railway overbridge at the Tamsi bus stand. The budget also specified that the state government should contribute the additional Rs. 51 crores required to complete the project. Five years have gone by and despite protests and marches, no one has turned up seeing the plight of these people. Both the Adilabad collector and the MLA of the Adilabad constituency were unavailable for comment on the issue when the reporter contacted them. The story will be updated once we hear from them.
