Mullanpur residents hold prayer meet for accident victims
Three persons have lost their lives in the past two months on this stretch owing to negligence of authorities who seem to be in a deep state of slumber over damaged roads and blind curves
Scores of residents of multiple societies in New Chandigarh, including Eco City, Casia, Omaxe, Ambika, DLF, and nearby villages, on Sunday held a prayer meeting in memory of victims who lost their lives in accidents on the “killer” airport road extension in Mullanpur from Omaxe society till T-junction on Madhya Marg.
Three persons have lost their lives in the past two months on this stretch owing to negligence of authorities who seem to be in a deep state of slumber over damaged roads and blind curves.
Residents later led a march from Ambika Florence till Clockton Market, with participants carrying banners and placards, demanding urgent road safety measures and protesting against the local administration.
Greater Mohali Area Development Authority’s (GMADA’s) inaction has resulted in a series of accidents on the incomplete Airport Road, where only one side has been operational for over a year, forcing two-way traffic onto a narrow and hazardous stretch ridden with potholes.
Randhir Singh, father of Bindu Rana who died on Tuesday in a road accident, was aggrieved and expressed his frustration.
“After moving from Himachal to Chandigarh, we bought a house in Ambika Florence. Due to the negligence of GMADA, our daughter lost her life. Our whole world has been robbed. Now we will sell this house and go back to Himachal,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, local residents voiced their frustration over the dangerous road conditions. Veena Sachdeva of Omaxe society questioned the design of the road from Madhya Marg T-point to Rani Majra, alleging that it had been curved to benefit local builders.
KR Negi, a resident of Florence Park, said, “New garbage dumping points are cropping up along the roadside, attracting stray animals. This makes driving even more hazardous, especially at night, as it is difficult to spot them around blind curves.”
Moreover with work still in progress on the PR4 road, the one-way stretch is also immovable, forcing commuters to take diversions for reaching Kurali or Majri side.
GMADA was supposed to construct three bridges including a minor bridge on PR-4 road till December end last year.
GMADA failed to complete a key bridge near Boothgarh due to which one side of the PR-4 road has been closed, resulting in numerous bottlenecks and diverting traffic towards already damaged internal roads.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the delay happened as GMADA, after a wait of around one year, got the go-ahead to construct a three-lane road in December.