E-Paper
Pothole-ridden Dhandra and Dugri roads make for nightmarish commute
The stretch from Dugri police station to Jain Mandir Chowk to Dhandra road often gets waterlogged due to potholes
The deteriorating condition of roads in the Dugri and Dhandra areas has for years caused inconvenience to both residents and commuters, who rue the administration’s alleged failure to act upon repeated demands for re-carpeting.
The Dhandra road underwent re-carpeting in 2017, which was followed by patchwork in 2020. However, residents remain dissatisfied, pointing out that the stretch from Dugri police station to Jain Mandir Chowk to Dhandra road is in a severely-damaged condition. The road has earned a reputation as one of the most perilous routes for city travellers.
Sanjeev, a resident of Dhandra road, expressed his concerns, saying, “Many politicians have made promises to re-carpet this road, but none have followed through. I urge the authorities to personally experience this road while riding a two-wheeler.”
“It’s an accident prone area and poses a grave risk to both commuters and residents. There was also confusion within the department regarding whether the municipal corporation or Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) would oversee the road’s maintenance and people continued to face the brunt. Now we learnt that it fell under GLADA, but nothing has materialised on the ground,” he added.
Mohinder Singh, another long-time resident of Dhandra road, also voiced his frustration, saying, “The condition of Dhandra road has left residents exasperated. Having lived here for over a decade, I have witnessed the road’s deterioration. It was re-carpeted in 2017, but within six months, it deteriorated significantly.”
“Now, the road is in a perilous state, with large potholes collecting water that breeds mosquitoes and flies. People have begun avoiding the road. I appeal to the authorities to promptly re-carpet the road, as the residents are grappling with multiple problems,” he added.
An official from GLADA, on the request of being anonymous, claimed that soon Dhandra road will be re-carpeted as funds for the same has been approved and work for the road will be started shortly.
Recalling his recent accident, Balwinder Singh resident of the Dugri area said, “A few months ago, while travelling from Dugri bridge towards the police station road, I met with an accident due to numerous potholes on the main road and internal roads. My left arm got fractured. Accidents like mine happen every day, yet the authorities have failed to re-carpet the roads.”
Echoing the concerns, Jagjot Singh, another resident of Dugri, highlighted a critical issue, stating, “The absence of road gullies has resulted in repeated road damage following re-carpeting efforts, particularly on Dugri police station road and the road near BSNL exchange in Dugri Phase-2. The lack of a proper water drainage system exacerbates the problem.”
Addressing their concerns MC superintendent engineer Sanjay Kanwar assured, “I have personally assessed the roads in the Dugri area that are in disrepair. We are working towards initiating patchwork or re-carpeting of the roads in the Dugri area to improve their condition.”
