Ludhiana: Damaged gullies very dangerous for commuters

LUDHIANA: Road gullies — meant to stop water from stagnating at one place and transfer it to the drainage system — are badly broken and damaged, creating a huge problem for commuters and residents of different areas like New Model Town, Kochar Market, Model Gram, and Harnam Nagar.
“People do not want their roads to be made of gold, but built properly with good material, so that everything goes on smoothly. Unfortunately, that is not possible because of the authorities and the government. They are not even interested in looking at problems faced by people,” said Pankaj Verma, a businessman.

Another person (who did not want to be named) said: “These road gullies are build to collect surface water, but most of them are damaged very badly, and their covers are never changed. In New Model Town, there is a road gully which is broken. Somebody put a wooden stick and cloth around it, so commuters can see the big hole, but is this really the duty of residents?

“Every day in this so-called ‘smart city’, gullies are blocked or broken, and nobody is looking after them. If the gullies are blocked, it is the duty of authorities to check it at least once a month to repair covers, but nothing is done. Most of the gullies in the city are blocked or broken, which becomes a huge problem for people when it rains,” said Paramjeet Kaur, a housewife from Model Gram.

“The pathetic condition of road gullies is a big contributor to road accidents. People riding two-wheelers can fall and injure themselves. There is no provision to ensure the accountability of road authorities for defects in engineering, design, and maintenance,” said Harmanjot Kaur, a private firm employee.

The MC commissioner was unavailable for comment.