Jaipur: A standoff between the traffic police and the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) over a proposed rainwater drainage line has triggered concern among residents and traders on the road between Jhotwara and Khatipura RoBs who fear another monsoon of severe waterlogging and business losses. The JDA had planned to install advanced rainwater drainage pipelines on the stretch, but the project remains stalled despite the work order being awarded. The delay has come because the traffic dept has not granted permission, citing the risk of major congestion and the difficulty of managing diversions on the narrow road. Speaking to TOI, a senior JDA official stated that even after awarding the work order, the civic body could not initiate the work because the traffic dept is not giving permission. “Until and unless we get permission from the traffic dept, we cannot initiate the project. The recent development is that there was discussion with deputy chief minister and local MLA Diya Kumari Tuesday. The Vidhyadhar Nagar MLA has instructed the traffic dept to give permissions,” stated a senior JDA official. Traffic officials said the stretch between the Jhotwara and the Khatipura RoBs is too narrow to allow both-way traffic on one flank during construction. This would require complete suspension and diversion of Khatipura-bound traffic. “All roads inside the adjacent colonies cannot handle such a huge volume of traffic. We need to divert traffic either towards the Kalwar Road or towards the Kailash Nagar Marg. Vehicles had to travel a long distance to cover up these diversions,” a traffic official stated. For local traders, the delay has deepened anxiety. SN Agarwal, the secretary of the Rani Market Khatipura Road Vyapar Sangh, stated that during previous monsoons most shops got flooded, with water entering ground-floor premises and causing worse conditions for basement shops. For nearly a month, trade was not possible in many establishments. “The problem is monsoon is barely two to three months away. If JDA delays initiating the work, it would continue during monsoon making things worse. And, if they finally decide to postpone the construction work after monsoon, our conditions will remain the same even this year,” stated Agarwal.
JDA, traffic dept tussle hits rainwater drainage project | Jaipur News
