Cracks that emerged on the Boscowadi Road in Babanpada, Gorai, barely a month after completion, are now being fixed after villagers raised their voices against the substandard work undertaken by the contractor. The road, approximately a kilometre long, was built between October 1, 2024, and May 25, 2025.
After the matter was brought to the attention of the BMC commissioner, repair work on the 1-km stretch of the road began. The people came together, and the pressure paid off. Our report stated that the community claimed the use of substandard materials and poor construction practices. While this edit space has on numerous occasions called out infrastructure coming apart in months and even days because of poor quality, the shiny takeaway from this is people power.
When there is a problem where authorities need to be tapped, people do not come together. They let one or two people take on the burden, citing excuses like they are too busy, do not know enough about the subject or simply do not have the knowledge or contacts about how to go about this. This is true in housing societies, especially, where some individuals are burdened with all the work or do everything while other members do not contribute at all. So, it is with projects where there are individuals who raise their voices while others stay silent, even when fully capable of helping.
In public projects or protests, even against something like illegal encroachments, there are some in the forefront who become the face and voice of the protest. While leadership is important, numbers count too, and a huge mass of people can definitely be more effective. Sometimes, it is individuals who face great physical danger, too. This can be mitigated to a huge degree if people collectively throw their weight behind the person. There is strength in numbers.