Ludhiana MC hook loader truck breaks down at Pakhowal underpass
Soon after receiving the information, the Ludhiana MC staff along with police swung into action and diverted the traffic from the alternate route of Pakhowal underpass
Merely a day after a hook loader truck was inducted in the fleet of municipal corporation (MC), the vehicle developed snag as its axle shaft broke down while crossing the underpass at Pakhowal Road here on Thursday.
The hook loader was carrying the container used for static compactor.
The incident led to a traffic jam, with commuters travelling from either side caught unawares about the stranded vehicle.
Soon after receiving the information, the civic body staff along with police swung into action and diverted the traffic from the alternate route of the underpass.
Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said that the hook loader was inducted in the fleet of the civic body a day ago.
“It is sad. I will look into the matter and mark an inquiry into the matter,” the mayor said.
Despite repeated attempts, MC’s joint commissioner Ankur Mahindroo, who is heading the health branch, was not available for comments.
MC health officer Dr Vipul Malhotra confirmed that the axle shaft hook loader had broken down.
When asked about the reason behind the incident, Malhotra said, “It is a machine and no one could predict when it could break down. However, it was purchased by the workshop of MC.”
Social activist and engineer Kapil Arora took a jibe at the MC, saying that the incident speaks volumes about poor and substandard material being used by the civic body. He said that such vehicles are deployed in the civic fleet after clearing certain strength and stability tests.
The static waste compactor system was set up near the Sidhwan canal bridge on Dugri Road, Ludhiana in 2016. After its success, the MC had planned to install more such compactors in other parts of the city to eliminate open garbage dumps.
The compactor was meant to collect and compress waste, which was earlier dumped in the open at secondary points, before being shifted to the landfill on Tajpur Road. The loader truck was deployed to transport the garbage from the compactor site to the garbage dump.
