Agency forgets to lay storm waterline while making road:Mayor slams officials, halts Teen Imli Road digging, says ‘Indore cannot be dug endlessly’

Acting on a citizen’s complaint about unnecessary road digging, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav on Friday morning conducted a surprise inspection near Teen Imli Bridge, where a newly constructed road was being dug up again to lay a storm water pipeline. The Mayor’s visit came after a local resident sent him a video late Thursday night, showing excavation work on the freshly built road. Instead of seeking clarification over the phone, Bhargav chose to inspect the site personally, catching officials and contractors off guard. Mayor’s surprise visit turns into public reprimand At the site, Bhargav found that the road was only half complete and already being dug again. Furious at the sight, he summoned additional commissioner Abhay Rajangaokar, zonal officer Ateeq Khan, corporator Rajendra Rathore, and representatives of the SNS Consultant Agency on the spot. Was it not known earlier that the stormwater line had to be laid? What kind of planning is this, digging up a new road? he asked. The Mayor also questioned why such uncoordinated work was approved, calling it a waste of public money and a source of harassment for citizens. Orders for accountability and penalty Holding the consultant agency primarily responsible, Bhargav directed the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to blacklist and terminate the agency, impose penalties on the construction firm, and recover the cost of the damage. He also instructed that departmental accountability be fixed for the oversight. We pay consultants to monitor such projects. If this is the result, then someone must answer for it. the Mayor said. Public-focused image and zero-tolerance message The surprise inspection reinforced Mayor Bhargav’s image as a hands-on leader committed to transparency and accountability. His swift, on-ground action sent a clear message to officials and contractors that negligence and coordination lapses will not be tolerated. Before leaving the site, Bhargav ordered the excavation work to stop immediately, saying, Indore cannot afford to be dug up endlessly. The city deserves better planning and responsible governance.