Hand pump in middle of UP road triggers outrage, removed after video goes viral
India Today
The hand pump, originally at the roadside, ended up in the middle during road expansion work leading to the Vindhyavasini Temple, reportedly rushed ahead of Navratri. After the clip went viral, PWD officials moved to remove it, even as social media users mocked the situation
A case of alleged negligence by the Public Works Department (PWD) in Mirzapur of Uttar Pradesh triggered outrage online, after a hand pump was found standing in the middle of a newly widened road in the Vindhyachal area.
The incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, shows vehicles navigating around a hand pump jutting out from the middle of the road, raising serious safety concerns.
According to local inputs, the road is being widened from Doodhnath Tiraha to Vindhyachal, a key stretch leading to the Vindhyavasini Temple, especially ahead of the Navratri rush. However, instead of removing the hand pump located along the roadside, officials allegedly went ahead with construction, leaving it stranded in the middle after expansion.
Locals claim the work was being fast-tracked ahead of the festival, which may have led to the oversight. The hand pump, originally at the edge of the road, ended up in the middle after widening.
“The hand pump was on the side earlier, but after widening, it came in the middle,” said a local resident. Another villager termed it a “serious lapse”, warning of potential accidents due to the obstruction.
After the video gained traction, PWD officials moved to remove the hand pump. Assistant engineer P.K. Pandey said the structure was never meant to remain on the road and was being shifted. “This is not in the middle of the road as such. It had to be removed after road work, and we are getting it removed,” he said.
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