Ludhiana MC’s monsoon prep a big joke, commuters pay price
Two-wheeler riders, in particular, are facing a tough time navigating through damaged and water-filled stretches; many have suffered falls and injuries
With monsoon in full swing, the municipal corporation seems least bothered about the inconvenience being caused to city residents. Several key roads across the city have been dug up for re-carpeting, despite the fact that road work cannot be done during the rainy season.
From Dugri Phase 1 and 2 to Civil Lines and parts of road under Zone B, numerous roads have been left dug-up for weeks, resulting in uneven and slippery stretches. Water accumulates in potholes, turning the roads into accident-prone zones, especially for two-wheeler riders.
Ironically, MC officials went ahead with digging work just a few weeks ago, fully aware that the monsoon was approaching. Now, due to continuous rainfall, the re-carpeting process has been halted, leaving roads in half-finished and dangerous condition.
City residents are bearing the brunt of the poor planning. Two-wheeler riders, in particular, are facing a tough time navigating through damaged and water-filled stretches. Many have suffered falls and injuries.
Rajinder Singh, a resident of Dugri Phase 2, said, “The main road of Drum Wala Chowk near our colony has been dug up for nearly three weeks now. Since then, the rains have made it worse. Just yesterday, a young boy on a scooty fell badly after skidding on the loose gravel.”
Harpreet Kaur, a schoolteacher who travels daily through the Civil Lines area, said, “I don’t understand the logic behind starting such work right before the monsoon. This is nothing but poor planning. Every day, we see someone slipping or losing control on these roads.”
Another resident, Sanjeev Arora of Focal Point, added, “The MC has left the roads half-done and vanished. There are no warning signs, no barricades, and no workers in sight. These dug-up roads are a serious threat, especially at night when visibility is low.”
Despite repeated complaints from the public, MC officials are yet to act. No concrete timeline has been given as to when the repair work will resume or be completed. Residents are demanding immediate action and accountability from the authorities.
According to an information, MC commissioner has even marked an inquiry against senior MC officials for digging up the road before monsoon which is posing problems among the commuters.
Superintending engineer Sham Lal Gupta said, “We are looking into the matter and the public will not suffer as few of the roads have been dug by the contractor without any permission and we have directed the contractor to repair as soon as possible”.
Meanwhile, experts say that re-carpeting work should be avoided during the rainy season as it not only leads to wastage of material but also creates long-term damage to the roads.
With the rainy season expected to continue, residents are now left to struggle through unsafe roads posing risk to their safety, all due to official apathy and poor planning.
