Badly damaged Dugri-Dhandra Road stretch in Ludhiana cries for attention

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 9

The badly broken stretch of Dugri-Dhandra Road has become a nightmare for commuters amid the rainy season. Shopkeepers said accidents were common on the stretch but the authorities concerned are yet to pay any attention.

The shopkeepers on the road wanted that the state government should direct the department concerned to get the road recarpeted/reconstructed with a proper provision of rainwater drainage at the earliest. They also want redressal of issues related to solid waste management on the stretch.

Sanjeev Gupta of the Dugri-Dhandra Road Shopkeepers Association said: “The stretch from the police station chowk up to Jain Mandir Chowk on Dugri-Dhandra Road was in a dilapidated condition again. We had sent complaints to the Chief Minister, Punjab, Ludhiana MC and also complained to the PWD regarding the poor condition of the road but to no avail. Accidents usually occur on the stretch. Moreover, no road gullies have been constructed for drainage of rainwater on the stretch.”

He said a portion of the road was recarpeted a few months ago, when they raised the matter before the MC but it was broke down within months.

Dr Surinder Jindal, who runs a clinic, said: “We face inconveniences due to the poor condition of the road. When vehicles pass, scattered stones on the broken stretch get bounced and hit commuters and doors of shops. Even the glass of my clinic door had broken several times due to the same. We appeal to the authorities concerned to get the road recarpeted in a proper way at the earliest.”

The shopkeepers have also demanded redressal of issues related to open dumping of garbage in the area. Mayor Balkar Singh said the road was not under the MC’s jurisdiction. ADC, Urban Development, and ACA, GLADA, Sandeep Kumar said he would check the matter.