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Commuters negotiate potholes, gravel on Chappar Chiri roads in Punjab
With the Kisan Mela to be held on October 9 at Chappar Chiri, the authorities don’t have much time to repair roads.
In just nine months repair work on the road leading to Chappar Chiri has been reduced to gravel and riddled with potholes, making driving here a tricky affair, especially for two-wheeler drivers.
The only road that connects residents of Chappar Chiri Kalan and Chappar Chiri Khurd villages is now non-motorable, but with no alternative as construction work is also going on the Chandigarh-Kharar highway, commuters travelling from Kharar to Mohali and Chandigarh are forced to take this road.
The roads — one leading to the memorial and the other leading to the village — are full of potholes.
On Wednesday, Mohali deputy commissioner held a review meeting. “I have directed the PWD official to repair the road,” said Sapra.
With the Kisan Mela to be held on October 9 at Chappar Chiri, the authorities don’t have much time to repair roads.
The commuters blame the administration’s shoddy job and selective work.
Parvesh Sharma, an employee of a private company in Mohali, said, “Administration has turned a blind eye to the condition of the road here. But whenever there is a government function, they carry out patch work to give the VIPs a smooth ride.”
“In January this year after the visit of Punjab culture and tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, the road was repaired. It was after the minister released Rs 10 lakh, the road was repaired but now it is back to same old woes,” said Ram Baksh, working with a private school in the village.
“Two link roads leading to Industrial Area, Mohali, are in a deplorable condition. This is difficult to explain,” said Ridhima Sharma a resident of Shivalik City, Kharar, who takes this road daily to travel to Industrial area, Phase 8, Mohali.
Officials blame heavy traffic
PWD officials put the onus of pitiable road condition on the increased vehicular traffic on the road.
Not willing to come on the record, PWD officials said owing to the ongoing construction of the Kharar flyover, most of the traffic is being diverted on this road and as a result tippers, trucks and buses take this road to avoid traffic on the highway. Due to this, the officials said, the road gets damaged much faster.
Significance of the area
It was in Chappar Chiri that the Sikhs led by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur defeated the Mughal forces led by Wazir Khan. Situated a few kilometres from Landran and around 20 km from Sirhind, this area was the site of the Battle of Sirhind that took place on May 12, 1710.
According to information available, Wazir Khan deployed his cannons and lined up his elephants, cavalry and skilled warriors at a plain site beyond which lay the rough landscape of Chappar Chiri (Chappar means pond and Chiri means cluster of trees) and surrounding tibbas (mounds).
