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4 months on, Ludhiana MC yet to clear trees, power pole for Mall Road project
The Mall Road narrows for around 50 to 100 metres as it approaches the busy intersection, resulting in persistent traffic congestion, particularly since traffic lights were installed there
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Four months after removing a structure to expand the Mall Road-Bharat Nagar Chowk intersection, the municipal corporation (MC) is yet to initiate the process to remove three trees and an electricity pole required for the proposed slip road project.
The Mall Road narrows for around 50 to 100 metres as it approaches the busy intersection, resulting in persistent traffic congestion, particularly since traffic lights were installed there. To ease the bottleneck, the MC plans to construct a slip road connecting Mall Road to Ferozepur Road towards Jagraon bridge.
An electricity pole stands at the proposed starting point of the slip road on Mall Road, while three trees are located near the point where it meets Bharat Nagar Chowk.
District forest officer Guramanpreet Singh Bains said the MC would have to inform the forest department before cutting any tree on government land. “They inform us. We assess the situation. Then we ask them to submit an amount in their own account, which will be used to plant more trees to compensate for the tree that is cut,” he said.
MC superintending engineer (buildings and roads branch) Sham Lal Gupta said the corporation would seek the necessary permission. “We will take the permission. The work on the road won’t start anytime soon, so there is time,” he said.
Gupta also said he was not immediately aware whether permission to remove the electricity pole had already been sought.
The expansion is being carried out along the road towards Rakh Bagh and the intersection. The land belongs to the sewage board and houses an old quarters complex.
The MC first constructed a wall inside the complex to demarcate the portion to be incorporated into the road. On May 4, it removed the outer wall and added the area to the road. However, construction work is yet to begin, leaving the newly added stretch posing a safety hazard to commuters.
The extended portion is lower than the existing road, creating a risk of commuters, particularly two-wheeler riders, falling into it. No warning signs or reflectors have been installed at the site to alert commuters, especially at night.
The road is part of the state government’s proposed world-class road project, but no timeline has been announced for the work.
“This is a clear safety hazard and can lead to major accidents. The MC should at least barricade the newly added area with sandbags covered with reflective material to caution commuters,” said Rahul Verma, a member of the Punjab State Road Safety Council.
