Protesters Tie Up Machines and Workers at Site; Water Spraying Begins after Standoff
Key Points:
- Hundreds halt NH-33 elevated corridor construction at Mango over severe dust pollution
- Ex-BJP leader Vikas Singh leads protest; machines and workers tied with ropes
- NHAI starts water tanker spraying after work stoppage; permanent solution demanded
JAMSHEDPUR – Hundreds of residents in Jamshedpur’s Mango area forced a halt to the ongoing construction of an elevated corridor on NH-33 on Sunday, tying up machines and workers at the site with ropes in protest against choking dust that has been severely disrupting daily life along the stretch between Baliguma and Pardih.
Local shopkeepers, tempo drivers, and daily-wage earners said the absence of water spraying during construction had turned the entire area into a dust bowl. Visibility on the road had dropped to just a few feet in places, raising the risk of accidents. Commuters travelling between Baliguma and Pardih reported being coated in dust within minutes of stepping out.
Several complaints had been filed with the construction agency and NHAI officials over the dust problem earlier. However, no concrete action followed. Fed up with the repeated neglect, former BJP leader Vikas Singh arrived at the site and attempted to contact the officials concerned. When that failed, he led the gathered crowd to the construction site.
Protesters tied up the construction machinery and workers with ropes and brought the work to a complete standstill. The dramatic intervention finally drew a response. Officials from the construction agency and NHAI rushed to the spot after learning of the work stoppage.
Water spraying through tankers was started immediately thereafter, providing some relief to the residents. Vikas Singh said people living along NH-33 had been suffering greatly due to the dust. He pointed out that elected representatives had been paying no attention to the issue.
Singh appealed to the local MP and MLA to travel once with their car windows open from Pardih to Baliguma to experience firsthand what ordinary residents endure daily. He warned that if a permanent solution was not found soon, the local agitation would continue. A large number of residents were present throughout the protest.
