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Ludhiana MC’s road widening work damages Buddha Nullah fence, plaint filed
Former councillor Mamta Ashu has lodged a complaint with the secretary of local bodies, drawing attention to the alleged mishap
Ludhiana municipal corporation’s (MC) ongoing road construction and widening work along the Buddha Nullah have led to damage to chain-link fence installed under the Smart City Project a few years ago. This development has sparked concerns among area residents, especially considering the project’s stalled progress in completing its designated 14km stretch and sheer wastage of public funds by damaging the grills during the other work.
Former councillor Mamta Ashu has lodged a complaint with the secretary of local bodies, drawing attention to the alleged mishap. According to Ashu, the construction work, initiated around five days ago, has already resulted in numerous iron grills nearing collapse, with several more damaged during the process, signifying a waste of funds allocated under the Smart City initiative.
The Smart City Project, aimed at installing chain-link fencing along the 14km stretch of the Buddha Nullah within the MC’s jurisdiction, was originally budgeted at approximately ₹14 crore. It was launched following directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to curb pollution caused by solid waste disposal into the nullah.
Despite the initial fanfare, the project has faced significant challenges, with only 9.5 km of the intended 14km stretch completed thus far. Moreover, the fencing installed has suffered damage, further complicating the situation. According to MC officials, the initial deadline for completion was set for December 31, 2022, but as of now, only 9.5 km of the total 14km intended stretch of the fencing has been completed.
There are still many sections that require fencing. Additionally, some of the installed fencing has already been damaged and is nearly collapsing but now MC officials have allegedly damaged the fencing during their construction work.
Executive engineer Sanjeev Sharma said, “The machine of O&M cell was deployed for cleaning near Buddha Nullah and grills were accidentally damaged by it. We have collected all the grilles and are going to reinstall it at that point.”
