Rourkela Resident Manoj Sahu Wins Praise for Repairing Roads and Cleaning Public Spaces
ROURKELA, : Rourkela may be a planned city, but the rainy season continues to expose several civic problems, including potholes, waterlogging and accumulated debris on roads. Against this backdrop, Panposh Mani Colony resident Manoj Sahu has been drawing appreciation for taking personal initiatives to address civic problems and assist the administration.
According to the report, potholes have appeared at several important locations across the city, including Hanuman Vatika Square, RMC Square, Sarana Square, Power House Square, Plant Site Square, Traffic Gate Square, Bisra Square and Panposh Hockey Square, as well as on roads connecting different parts of Rourkela.
The report says that repeated complaints regarding road conditions have not always resulted in immediate action. Taking note of the problems faced by residents and commuters, Sahu has been visiting different parts of the city and highlighting civic issues through his Facebook posts, drawing the attention of the administration.
One such post highlighted potholes in the Kalinga Vihar area, following which the administration reportedly repaired the damaged portion soon after the matter was brought to public attention.
Sahu has also undertaken repair work at his own expense. At Panposh New Bridge, he reportedly repaired a pothole using sand and cement. Similarly, at the busy Panposh Hockey Square, he carried out repair work from his own resources, after which the Rourkela Municipal Corporation carried out further work at the location.
His civic efforts have not been limited to pothole repairs. At Hanuman Vatika Square, where large quantities of gravel had accumulated on the road after rainwater washed the surface, Sahu reportedly swept and moved the debris to the roadside to make movement safer for commuters.
A few days ago, near the Tribal Museum in Civil Township, rainwater was flowing along the road. In an effort to clear the passage, Sahu reportedly cleaned waste from a drain by manually removing the accumulated garbage. He has also undertaken cleaning activities several times at Panposh Market.
Following such interventions, road repair and cleaning work has reportedly been undertaken by the administration at several locations.
Speaking about his efforts, Sahu said his primary objective was to assist the administration. He noted that the civic authorities are engaged in numerous activities across the city and may not be able to monitor every problem immediately. By highlighting such issues, he said, he hopes to help bring them to the administration’s attention so that corrective action can follow.
He further said that having received the opportunity to live, people should try to be useful to others and contribute to society in whatever small way they can.
The efforts of Manoj Sahu have therefore emerged as an example of citizen participation in addressing everyday civic problems in Rourkela.
