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Depts spring into action to meet DC’s 3-day pothole repair deadline
Despite the rain in the morning, teams from the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority and Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran carried out patch work
In a long-awaited breather for Panchkula residents from daily bumpy rides, various civic departments swung into action on Sunday to fix potholes across the city, a day after deputy commissioner Satpal Sharma set a three-day deadline.
The DC had assured Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini during a Saturday review meeting that all potholes will be repaired within 72 hours.
Despite the rain in the morning, teams from the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) and Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) carried out patch work and began re-carpeting roads near Gandhi Colony gurdwara (leading to Mansa Devi temple), the Panchkula Housing Board light point, Saketri road and several other pothole-riddled stretches.
HSVP officials added that Sectors 1, 3, and 5 had also been allotted for repair under their jurisdiction.
The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) carried out patch work in Industrial Area, Phase 2, including on the route leading to Chandigarh.
The DC on Saturday had directed these civic bodies to ensure timely repair of potholes in their respective areas to prevent inconvenience to commuters. HSVP manages roads in Sectors 1, 3, 5, 6, 27 and 28; PMDA oversees major sector-dividing and city roads; the municipal corporation (MC) looks after internal sector roads; and HSIIDC maintains Industrial Area roads.
MC lags behind, cites rain as excuse
Amid the concerted efforts by other departments, potholes on internal sector roads, which fall under MC, remained unrepaired on Sunday. An MC officer, requesting anonymity, said morning rains prevented patch work. Several internal roads in the city remain broken, posing risk of accidents.
SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula, said the authorities had turned a blind eye to the situation. “The road leading to the Industrial Area from the Sector 15 side is in an appalling condition,” he pointed out.
Similarly, Mohit Gupta, founder of Solution Box — a group of conscious residents of Panchkula — said most of Sector 5, which falls under HSVP’s jurisdiction, was dotted by potholes.
