SBS Nagar out of bounds for heavy vehicles

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, October 16

Bad roads in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, 475-acre colony developed by Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) on Pakhowal Road here are taking a toll with the residents and other visitors to the colony suffering immensely. The accident-prone main and internal roads of the colony present a picture of neglect and insensitivity on the part of the officials concerned. The residents have been approaching the authorities for remedial steps, but in vain.

The problem created by potholed roads has been further compounded by the decision of the LIT authorities to ban the entry of heavy vehicles altogether into the colony. A sign board saying ‘entry of heavy vehicles banned’ has been put up on the 100 feet wide road (entry point of the colony on Pakhowal Road) purportedly to save the roads leading to G and H blocks from further damage.

The roads leading to G and H blocks of the colony had suffered some damage with erosion of road berms and crack appearing in the main road adjacent to now abandoned ‘city centre’ project due to heavy rains during the past month. The LIT authorities had carried out repair work and sand bags were pitched to prevent the road around dug-up area for the city centre project from caving in.

According to the local residents, the LIT authorities had closed some part of the damaged road to traffic to avert any untoward incident but now entry of heavy vehicles has been banned completely into the colony which was bound to create many problems in days to come.

In a complaint lodged with the LIT officials, more than half a dozen residents of the colony have said with entry of heavy vehicles banned into the colony, ongoing construction work at various places in the colony would be affected since vehicles carrying construction material like bricks, cement, stone metal, sand and marble would not be able to enter the colony and unload the material.

“If the roads are lying in a bad condition and have not been repaired/recarpeted for a long time, the fault lies with the Trust authorities but residents are being made to face the consequences and inconvenience which is absolutely unjustified,” said the residents, adding that rather than banning the entry of heavy vehicles into the colony, the LIT ought to have expedited the long-pending work for repair and recarpeting of main and feeder roads.

LIT officials said bids have already been invited for carpeting of roads in the colony and the ban on entry of heavy vehicles is a temporary measure in the larger public interest.

Expedite repair, recarpeting: Residents

“If the roads are lying in a bad condition and have not been repaired/recarpeted for a long time, the fault lies with the Trust authorities but residents are being made to face the consequences and inconvenience which is absolutely unjustified,” said the residents, adding that rather than banning the entry of heavy vehicles into the colony, the LIT ought to have expedited the long-pending work for repair and recarpeting of main and feeder roads.