“Kareli doesn’t appear to be a part of Prayagraj. It feels like an abandoned house in the middle of decorated mansions," says 36-year-old Faizan Siddique, who runs a catering business at Sola Market in Prayagraj's Kareli.
Earlier this year, when the Maha Kumbh saw huge spending to beautify Prayagraj, Kareli—one of the largest residential areas in the city—was left untouched, locals such as Siddique claim.
With broken roads, clogged drains, and choking dust, they say they feel not just abandoned, but "invisible" to those in power.
A Health Hazard
At Mastan Market, where the Sola Market stretch ends, the road is so uneven that some locals call it Sookha Talaab (dried pond). The connecting roads to Gaus Nagar and Kasari Masari are in equally dire condition.
“Some patching was carried out near Abu Bakar Masjid on Ahmad Road, but the surface broke down in weeks,” said Faheem Ahmad, a senior citizen of Shams Nagar, a locality near the mosque. “The deep pits cause a constant pain in the back and are a danger to commuters.”
Every season has its own struggle. In the monsoon, residents wade through waterlogged lanes. In the dry months, the same roads throw up choking clouds of dust.
For Faizan, a Class 11 student from Murga Darbar, the poor road condition is personal. He is suffering from asthma, which his family believes has been triggered by prolonged exposure to dust. "He carries his inhaler to school," says Imran Ahmad, his elder brother.
Street vendors at Mastan Market intersection clean the dust off their vegetables several times a day. "Dust settles on our fruits and vegetables no matter how much we cover them," says a vendor.
Few drains exist along the main roads, but even those are mostly clogged. Even footpaths are absent, forcing pedestrians to wade through the traffic.
Syed Tanveer Hasan, a social activist who has been vocal about the health risks in the area, adds, "It is a public health concern—many people have been complaining of pneumoconiosis, asthma, and chest congestion. Doctors have been advising them to wear masks."
Two-wheeler riders are equally affected. Aman Khan, a medical representative from Sola Market, says, “It’s not just the damage to my bike—the dust makes it hard to breathe every day.”
The dust, the locals say, ends only when during the monsoon season when it is replaced by the overflowing water from the sewage.
'Even Village Roads Are in Better Condition'
While central Prayagraj gleams with newly paved roads and ornate lamp posts, Kareli remains untouched—hidden from civic attention.
Abu Saeed, a carpenter from Lakhanpur village, 5 km away from Kareli, says, "My village roads are in better condition than in Kareli. How can one of the city’s biggest localities be worse than a rural road?"
'A History Of Promises'
The area comes under the jurisdiction of the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, and despite repeated complaints to multiple MPs, MLAs, over the years, and to the corporation itself, little has changed on the ground.
In July this year, according to a Times of India report, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the government will prioritise the development of Prayagraj and the Vindhyachal region which are the key centres of the state’s historical, cultural, and spiritual identity. The report further stated that he had asked the authorities concerned to complete the pending work on improving single-connectivity roads.
Despite the roads in Kareli form a major route to the Kumbh Mela grounds, and one of the only two routes to the city's airport, the area shows a glaring absence of everything promised.
“Civic officials often cite encroachment and unorganised traffic as complicating factors of obstacles for commuters to keep moving to their respective ways, but roads are the foundation of any city. People here have faced neglect for years. They can only hope they won’t be deprived of reliable infrastructure," says social activist Hasan.
As residents, we earnestly appeal to the the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation and the government. We are citizens of Prayagraj, too, so please give our locality the attention it deserves.
(The Quint has reached out to Prayagraj Municipal Corporation, District Magistrate, and Chief Development Officer in Prayagraj. Their response is awaited. The story would be updated as and when they repond.)
(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)