Another road portion caves in; commuters scared

LUDHIANA: Commuters had a narrow escape as part of another road caved in near Hero Bakery Chowk on Pakhowal Road on Friday morning. The municipal corporation officials said the road portion sank in due to a leaking underground drainage pipe. “The roads in this area witness cave-ins every now and then. A portion of the stretch opposite this Pakhowal Road too had collapsed on July 21. In May and July too, parts of the area’s roads got damaged due to various reasons,” said a resident of Model Town Extension, Harjit Singh.


The officials, however, checked the damaged portion to see digging of road or some other reason behind the incident. Though officials are pointing towards leakage in the road gulley connection pipe from where water seeped inside the sand and the road caved in, but sources revealed that officials also spotted some rats there. Officials claimed rats must be the reason behind this damage to the road.

Meanwhile, commuters raised a hue and cry about frequent incidents of caving in of roads in various parts of the city. SBS Nagar resident Arvind Sharma complained: “We are scared of driving on city roads during this season because of frequent road caving incidents. Almost every day, there is news about caving in of a road in one or other parts of the city.” He said the civic authorities should find a solution to this problem.

Echoing the same, another resident from Model Town Extension, Harjit Singh, rued that in this stretch too, the road had caved in various times, and officials coming to fix the problem at that site run away without finding a permanent solution to the problem. He said many commuters pass through the road, and such incidents might lead to a major incident some day.

One of the officials claimed there was old sewerage system under the road, and there was a need to change it. He said Malhar Road was to be developed as a smart road, and at that time, the entire sewerage system would be changed, and this problem resolved. However, MC executive engineer (Building and Road department) HS Bhullar said: “The road had caved in due to leakage in the road gulley connection pipe, but we have got it repaired.”

PREVIOUS INCIDENTS

September 26: Rear tyre of truck stuck inside the road when suddenly a crater was created near Shivaji Nagar main bridge

September 23: Road caved in at two locations in Ghumar Mandi Market

July 21: A major portion of the road caved in near Hero Bakery Chowk going towards Shastri Nagar

July 16: A major portion of the road caved in near Saggu Chowk in Maharaj Nagar

July 13: A portion of the slip road got damaged opposite Aarti Cinema

May 8: A deep crater was created in a road portion near Shastri Nagar railway crossing on Malhar Road