Main road cries out for repairs as MC turns a blind eye
A nearly 500-metre stretch of the Mahavir Marg at Kapurthala Chowk and outside Tagore hospital, which is one of the busiest roads in the city, offers a bumpy ride to commuters, thanks to the potholes dotting it. Sanjeev Bhalla reports
A nearly 500-metre stretch of the Mahavir Marg at Kapurthala Chowk and outside Tagore hospital, which is one of the busiest roads in the city, offers a bumpy ride to commuters, thanks to the potholes dotting it.
Particularly at Kapurthala Chowk, conditions worsen during rains, with two-wheeler drivers forced to stand in a pool of rainwater while waiting for the light to turn green. On rainy days, water remains standing there for hours on end.
Outside Tagore hospital, the road is badly broken and vehicles have to pass at a snail's pace through a nearly 50-metre stretch, which was patched several times by the municipal authorities, but with no visible results.
The side of the road leading towards Amritsar, used daily by thousands of students to reach their institutes located along the track, is in a worse shape than the other side.
Local resident Amardeep Singh said, “Every road in the city is a source of nightmares for two-wheeler drivers. The municipal corporation should take up this issue on a priority-basis and provide commutable roads to the citizens.”
Jagtar Singh, another resident claimed, “The potholes are so deep that several times, vehicles get stuck in them. Sometimes novice drivers fail to pass the pothole, making their vehicle stall, slide backwards and hit the vehicles standing behind. This is a daily occurrence, which usually leads to heated arguments.”
“However, the MC does not seem concerned with our problems, as I have been seeing this condition for the past many years,” he alleged, adding, “The other side of road is in a good condition, then why has the MC failed in laying this surface.”
While assistant commissioner (buildings and roads) Ashwani Choudhary said that the area did not fall in his jurisdiction, inquiries from other senior officials of the department revealed that he was in-charge of the locality.
Authority speaks
The area does not fall in my jurisdiction. However, I will pass necessary instructions to the concerned junior engineer Jalandhar Singh to improve the road. As far as water logging at Kapurthala Chowk is concerned, its solution is under consideration of the MC, along with other areas of the city.
Assistant commissioner (B&R) Ashwani Chowdhary
People Speak
I have developed severe cervical problems due to regular commuting on this potholed road. I prefer not to use a two-wheeler on this stretch, as it aggravates the problem.
Roopesh Kumar, chemist
Our passengers complain when they feel jerks. We can do very little in this regard, and we have to bear a very high cost of maintenance of vehicles.
Ashish Kumar, autorickshaw driver
For the past three days, I have been travelling on this road to visit a relative at the hospital, and have found driving a two-wheeler to be really tiring and risky. The MC should repair this stretch at the earliest.
Kashmir Singh, resident
Every day, we use this road, which has been broken for the past many years, to reach our college. The MC authorities' lack of concern about the safety of citizens surprises us, as mishaps are always waiting to happen on this stretch.
Arjun Malhotra, student