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Low visibility, bumpy ride make navigating Ludhiana’s Rahon Road tricky
The road had been dug up nearly a year ago for laying of sewerage pipelines
Overnight rain on Saturday and fog on Sunday morning added to the woes of the residents of Rahon Road near Jodhewal Basti as the stretch is in a dilapidated state.
The motorists complained that the broken road endangered commuters. Many of them have even fallen from their vehicles because of the poor condition of the road.
The residents lamented that while the municipal corporation is claiming to have transformed the industrial town into a smart city, the shabby condition of Rahon Road exposes its dirty picture.
If the bumpy ride was not enough, the plying of heavy trucks on the road is also adding to the commuters’ miseries.
The condition of the residents of Prem Nagar Colony in the Meharban area is the worst as polluted water of overflowing dyeing units continues to stagnate and flow into the residential area, posing risk to their health.
The broken road is not only posing a problem for four wheeler drivers but also scooterists and bikers.
The residents complained that the potholed road was dug up nearly a year ago for laying of underground sewerage pipelines but the work was being done at a snail’s pace.
“Each day, commuters fall from their vehicles and get injured. The rain and fog have added to the woes. Instead of addressing the problem, the MC authorities are looking the other way,” said Tarun Jain, a factory owner.
Chitranjan Mehta, a migrant labourer from Bihar, said that shopkeepers in the area have also encroached upon the road which has added to the chaos.
Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Sahnewal, said that he had raised the issue nearly 15 times in the Vidhan Sabha in the past three years.
“I have been highlighting the issue at each forum but, nothing is being done to address the problem. The local administration has failed to get the road made and check the problem of overflowing dyeing units in all these years, let alone making Ludhiana a smart city,” said Dhillon.
Parveen Singla, superintending engineer (SE), building and road department (B&R), of the MC, said that the work of laying of sewer lines was complete and laying road gullies (for drainage of rainwater) was taking place.
“The work is in progress and will be completed soon,” said the SE.
