Ludhiana: Civil Lines residents rue slow road re-carpeting

The sluggish pace of the revamp of a dilapidated stretch linking Civil Lines Road with Deep Nagar has left residents harried.

The sluggish pace of the revamp of a dilapidated stretch linking Civil Lines Road with Deep Nagar has left residents harried. Notably, this road serves as a crucial passage, with several hospitals, schools and a cremation ground along its route, making its upkeep essential for the locals.

The entire stretch is riddled with potholes and gravel where it is difficult to even walk. (Manish/HT)

Shedding light on the poor condition of this broken lane, residents emphasised that the road was in a somewhat functional condition earlier. However, during the election period, municipal corporation officials began the road’s renovation, only to abandon it shortly thereafter, leaving it neglected ever since. The whole stretch is riddled with potholes and gravel where it is difficult to even walk on this lane. The problem is more grave for cyclists and motorists where they lose the balance of their vehicles, eventually hurting themselves.

Aman Verma, a manager at the multi-speciality hospital on this road, highlighted the severe impact of this road on their ambulance service. “The poor condition of the road has compounded the difficulties faced by our patients, who are already in distress,” he stated.

Another hospital staff member mentioned that she avoids using the road whenever possible due to its dangerous state.

Manjeet, a concerned parent who regularly picks up his children from Saraswati Modern School on this road asserted that commuting on this lane is troublesome. He remains fearful for his children’s safety and hoping that the corporation will soon take the cognizance of this road.

Former councillor Raju Thapar mentioned that the corporation had initiated the re-carpeting of the lane. The onset of the monsoon has led the concerned officials to delay further work until the weather improves.

Ludhiana municipal corporation zone D executive engineer (buildings and roads) Harjit Singh said that the corporation has temporarily halted the ongoing construction work due to the rain spell. He further stated that the revamp work will resume after the monsoon, as it will take only 2 to 3 days to complete the entire process.