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No concrete action! Construction material strewn on Ludhiana roads
The construction material strewn on Ludhiana roads are set to pose a risk for motorists & pedestrians during monsoon season, besides choking the drains and causing waterlogging
With the municipal corporation (MC) failing to keep a check on construction material scattered on city roads, residents are set to face a plethora of problems this monsoon.
The construction material, mainly sand, turns into sludge after a downpour due to which the road becomes slippery, posing a risk to motorists as well as pedestrians. Besides, this also chokes the drains and results in waterlogging.
Sunil Vinayak, a resident of Sham Singh Road, said, “The dumping of construction material on roads is a serious problem. Not only does it block the free passage of vehicles, but also leads to pollution. Residents usually avoid reporting the matter to avoid animosity with their neighbours but civic body teams must take action against such violators.”
MC joint commissioner Poonampreet Kaur said tehbazari teams regularly take rounds of the city to check for such violations but residents should also act as their eyes on the ground. “The numbers of our officials are available at all the zonal offices. Residents should alert the officials whenever they see such a violation. Complaints can also be lodged through the MC’s mobile application,” said Kaur.
During the tenure of police commissioner Ishwar Singh, a drive was started to challan and register FIR against people dumping construction material outside their houses and commercial buildings. But after his transfer, the initiative was shelved.
Plant yet to see light of the day
The city was to get a construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant under the Smart City Mission in 2021, but so far, the project has failed to take off.
“In the absence of any such plant, C&D waste is being dumped on roadsides and vacant plots, causing inconvenience to the public. Heaps of such construction waste can be seen in green belt areas of the city,” said Gurmeet Singh Sondhi, a banker. The waste generated during demolition drives, conducted by the civic body, is also dumped along the Buddha Nullah and at other locations.
Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu had visited Jodhpur to study the functioning of the city’s C&D waste management plant in 2020 and assured that a similar plant will soon be set up in Ludhiana. The estimated cost of the plant is around ₹12 crore.
Superintending engineer Rahul Gagneja, said all necessary approvals from the government have been received and the plant will soon be made operational in Dhandari.
