Mandi Ward Watch: Purani Mandi: Municipal problems plague the mayor’s territory

The Purani Mandi ward of the Mandi Municipal Corporation is home to citizens who face a number of important municipal challenges, including insufficient public restroom facilities, damaged pedestrian pathways, and a lack of a decent parking facility. Stray dogs and livestock pose a threat to the ward that Mayor Virender Bhatt represents. In addition, the locals are bothered by monkeys.

The president of the Sheetla Sevak Society and a resident of Purani Mandi ward, Dinesh Kumar, said that the lack of adequate parking facilities in the region causes great trouble for the locals when it comes to parking their cars.

According to him, parking spaces must be constructed as soon as possible in the ward in strategic locations.

“Along the Mandi-Pathankot route, there is no pedestrian pathway between Victoria Bridge and Bheuli. For people to travel there safely, a pedestrian route is required for the two kilometers, he said.

According to Dinesh Kumar, there were a few damaged pedestrian pathways in the ward that needed to be fixed. There were no public restrooms between Bheuli and Victoria Bridge, he said. “The bridge that is currently being built to connect Purani Mandi and Paddal ward needs to be finished as soon as possible,” he said.

“The drains from most households of the ward directly open into the Beas,” said Anil Kumar, another ward resident. The region requires an appropriate drainage system. Walking becomes challenging for most individuals during the rainy season since most homes’ water immediately falls onto pedestrian pathways. It is important to instruct the people to make sure that rainwater from rooftops enters the drainage system. There are still some homes in the ward without sewage connections.

“Stray dogs are often seen wandering the streets, endangering people—children and the elderly in particular. The officials of the Municipal Corporation need to resolve the issue. The threat posed by stray livestock is another significant problem that requires attention. Additionally, the inhabitants of the neighborhood are really concerned about the monkey epidemic,” he said.

Mayor of Mandi Municipal Corporation Virender Bhatt said that although work was being done to establish a parking lot in the ward, damaged pedestrian pathways were being repaired. “We were unable to begin parking lot construction due to a delay in land transfer,” he said.

The National Highways Authority of India will be consulted on the construction of a pedestrian walkway between Bheuli and Victoria Bridge, according to the mayor.

According to Bhatt, the officials of the Municipal Corporation are searching for a way to address the problem of stray animals.

He claimed that every attempt was being made to expedite the ward’s development projects.