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Striking staff leave commuters navigating risky craters in Ludhiana
The impact is visible at Saggu Chowk, where nearly a month has passed since the road caved in at Mint Ghumari Chowk where a fresh cave-in occurred recently on Tuesday and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar where the road has caved in twice at the same spot within just 10 days
An ongoing Municipal Corporation staff strike has delayed permanent road repairs, leaving dangerous cave-in sites unattended and forcing commuters to navigate risky patches. While workers have used soil to patch holes temporarily, locals worry heavy rain will wash it away and cause new collapses.
The impact is visible at Saggu Chowk, where nearly a month has passed since the road caved in at Mint Ghumari Chowk where a fresh cave-in occurred recently on Tuesday and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar where the road has caved in twice at the same spot within just 10 days. At all three locations permanent restoration is still pending.
Residents said that the damaged roads have become a major cause of traffic congestion forcing motorists to take diversions or slow down particularly during peak hours. They said that the temporary repairs have done little to address the root cause and have instead increased the risk of accidents. Yogesh Mandal, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, said, “The authorities have only filled the damaged portion with soil. It is not a permanent repair. If there is another spell of heavy rain, the road is likely to cave in again.” Rohit Sharma, a shopkeeper near Saggu Chowk, said that the unrepaired road has become a daily headache for commuters. “Traffic snarls are a common sight during office hours and many two-wheeler riders lose balance while trying to avoid the damaged portion. We have been waiting for a permanent solution for almost a month.”
Neena Sharma, a resident of Model Town, said the latest cave-in has added to public woes. “People are scared while driving especially during the rain because no one knows when the road might sink again. Temporary patchwork is not the solution,” she said. Residents have urged the civic authorities to expedite the repair work.
Superintending engineer Sham Lal Gupta said that the ongoing MC staff strike has slowed down repair work due to labour-related issues. He said that Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar is with the Improvement Trust and they have floated tenders, but the road is not yet officially handed over, and permanent repairs will start once this is resolved.
