Potholed road near Dugri poses threat to commuters

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 22

With GLADA turning a blind eye, hundreds of commuters are a harried lot daily due to badly broken stretch of 200- foot-wide road that links Pakhowal Road with Dhandra Road. A large number of potholes have appeared on the stretch near Dugri, Flower Chowk, and the loose gravels have made the condition worse.

The two-wheeler riders often lose balance on the potholed road where a number of fatal road mishaps have taken place in the past. The local residents blamed GLADA for ignoring the safety of commuters on potholed road.

It was learnt that the GLADA is yet to float the tenders to invite bids for carrying out patchwork on the road. Some residents claimed that repair work was conducted less than a year ago but the road has badly broken now.

Dr Amandeep Singh Bains of RBS Roots (NGO) said: “The road has broken once again at many points. The size and depth of potholes have increased but GLADA is yet to wake up. A number of mishaps have already taken place at this stretch. There are a few dangerous cuts which are required to be closed. The GLADA authorities must take concrete measures to ensure safety of the commuters.”

A commuter, Satinderpal Singh, said, “No steps are being taken to get the potholes filled on even temporary basis. Moreover, the loose gravels have not been cleared. We pay taxes from our pocket but the proper road infrastructure is still like a distant dream.”

He said: “Many speeding vehicles pass through this road due to which chances of mishaps remain high.”

Meanwhile, some residents complained that the road sign boards have been installed on footpaths on the 200-foot-wide road due to which the pedestrians face inconvenience. Even after installation of the signboards, the extra concrete material has not been removed which causes obstructions for the pedestrians.

The GLADA’s executive engineer, Jasjot Singh, said they were going to float a tender for patchwork on this road soon. He said the process to make an estimate for the strengthening of the road was also under process.