Pothole-ridden Ludhiana roads irk commuter
The repeated patchwork on major roads, including Humbran Road and Gill Road, has made the road uneven making it difficult for commuters to travel in a smooth manner on the roads in Ludhiana
The work to repair various arterial roads of the city, which are marred by potholes, is being delayed and residents are finding themselves at the receiving end of the situation. The recent spell of rain has also hit the repair work which if not completed within time can pose a risk to commuters during the upcoming monsoon season.
The pothole-ridden roads, in the city, include the Humbran Road, Dugri Phase-3, ATI Chowk, Bus Stand Road, Clock Tower Bridge, Salem Tabri, Transport Nagar, Jamalpur Colony, Eastman Chowk and Dhandari Kalan etc.
While the work to complete the approved projects to construct new roads is underway and the civic body has allocated a sum of ₹100 crore towards repair and construction of new roads, the bad shape of roads is increasing the chances of accidents, especially during the monsoon. During the season, water gets accumulated on the roads making potholes invisible to the commuters.
The repeated patchwork on major roads, including Humbran Road and Gill Road, has made the road uneven making it difficult for commuters to travel in a smooth manner on the roads.
Recently residents and MLAs also pointed out the lack of quality material being used in the road projects. Several stakeholders and industry representatives have also urged the MLAs to make the roads a priority.
Sharing his travails, Surinder Kumar who works with a private company as a salesman, said, “On average I travel at least 50 km in the city, travelling on the potholed roads has caused pain in my back and I feel like I am at risk every time I go out of my home.”
He said the elevated road near the Clock Tower which is used by thousands is also marred by potholes, he said that after authorities fill the old potholes new ones emerge the next day. He said he has had a narrow escape from a serious accident due to uneven roads.
Another resident, Minakshi of Kitchu Nagar, said residents are undergoing a double whammy as major roads, including Ferozepur Road, which connects several posh areas of the city are undergoing construction and the rest of the roads are crying for maintenance, and repairs.
She said, “Travelling from my residence in Kitchlu towards other parts of the city using Humbran Road is like a nightmare and over time inches deep potholes have emerged on the road which has not been repaired.”
She added that as the road is also used by school-going students who ride on their bicycles, the potholes should be repaired on priority.
Is the civic body monsoon ready?
When asked, superintending engineer, Sanjay Kanwar, said all the patchwork on the roads will be completed within this month. He said that a meeting which is focused on assessing the monsoon readiness has been scheduled and all the areas where patchwork is required will be completed on priority.
Project to recarpet the southern bypass yet to start
Despite being tendered the project to recarpet, the 12.5km long southern bypass which falls under the jurisdiction of the public works department is yet to start. The road was to be relayed at a cost of ₹74.68 crore, the inaugural event of the project was scheduled to last month but was later cancelled.
The southern bypass which connects Ferozpur Road to Doraha has not undergone any major repair for the last 11 years.