Surat road widening work has remained incomplete for more than a year on a one-kilometre stretch in Punagam, prompting residents to protest over debris, unshifted electricity poles and the safety risks faced by commuters. The affected section lies near Deepmala and Nandanvan societies, where demolitions were carried out to expand the road to its planned width of nine metres.
Residents said around eight feet of additional space was cleared along parts of the road, but construction has not started on the demolished stretch. Remnants of cement-concrete structures remain on the ground, while electricity poles continue to stand in their original positions instead of being moved towards the roadside.
Residents of Deepmala Society, Nandanvan Society, Omkar Society and neighbouring areas participated in the demonstration on Wednesday. The protest was led by former Surat Municipal Primary Education Committee member Suresh Suhagiya and former corporator Dinesh Savaliya. Protesters displayed placards and raised slogans seeking immediate completion of the road and relocation of the electricity infrastructure.
Kamlesh Vekariya, president of Deepmala Society, said parts of demolished structures were still lying on the road because construction had not begun. He also described the electricity poles as a major threat because they had not been shifted after the widening work.
The project has also become contentious because the demolition drive was only partially implemented. Residents said the work stopped near Gitanagar Society, and alleged that the remaining demolition had been delayed because of political pressure. They said the incomplete stretch forces commuters to negotiate an uneven and potentially hazardous route.
Suhagiya alleged that the civic authorities had failed to complete the work within a stipulated timeframe. He called for the road to be constructed and the electricity poles to be shifted immediately, citing the danger posed by their current locations.
Officials from the Surat Municipal Corporation’s East Zone-A, also known as the Varachha zone, said the road-widening project had been halted because some property owners had approached the court against the proposed widening. The officials said the civic and electricity authorities could shift the electricity lines and other utilities after the entire road-widening process was completed.
The officials added that steps were being taken to address residents’ concerns. The next stage of the project therefore remains linked to the resolution of the legal dispute and completion of the proposed widening process along the affected stretch.
