Foot overbridge eludes Dhandari Khurd

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 18

In the absence of foot overbridge or pedestrian underpass, residents are forced to put their lives at risk while crossing rail tracks in a wrong manner at Dhandari Khurd in Ludhiana. Many people can be seen jumping the safety wall from the Dhandari Khurd side to cross rail tracks in order to reach the Ludhiana-Delhi road or the Dhandari Kalan area.

The areas of Dhandari Khurd and Dhandari Kalan are separated by rail tracks and the National Highway-44 stretch. Residents have to cover a long distance on foot between both sides in the absence of any foot overbridge or underpass to reach their destination.

Residents claim if they walked, they had to cover 4 km to reach from one side to another. To avoid covering a long distance, number of pedestrians, including women jump the safety wall along railway tracks, so that they can reach the National Highway-44 or Dhandari Kalan from Dhandari Khurd side within a few minutes on foot, but in a wrong manner.

“Many persons put their life at risk while crossing rail tracks in the absence of foot overbridge. People have also lost their lives while crossing tracks in the past,” said a Dhandari Khurd resident.

“The Railways have constructed a safety wall along tracks to avert mishaps. Now, people jump the safety wall for crossing rail lines. But, no foot overbridge has been constructed to this date,” he added.

Residents of Dhandari Khurd have written to the Railway Minister and Member of Parliament concerned seeking early construction of the overbridge or an underpass to connect Dhandari Khurd and Dhandari Kalan areas. They are still awaiting government’s attention.

A railway overbridge, which connects NH-44 with industrial areas, near Dhandari Khurd, was constructed for the vehicular movement, but footpath was not constructed ignoring pedestrians.

Sukhwinder Singh, chairman, Guru Ravidas Youth Sports and Welfare Club, Dhandari Khurd, said, “Many labourers walk between Dhandari Khurd and Dhandari Kalan daily as a number of factories are located on both sides. Besides, the post office, banks and other offices are located on the Dhandari Kalan side. A government school is in Dhandari Khurd while some private schools are in Dhandari Kalan.” “Many people, including students, walk between the two sides. There is a dire need to construct a safe pedestrian path so that people living in Dhandari Khurd and Dhandari Kalan can traverse between both sides easily,” he added.

“We appeal to the government and the Railway authorities to construct a foot overbridge or pedestrian underpass so that people can safely walk between both sides,” he said.