Driving on Madhya Marg, city’s lifeline, has become a horrible experience as the entire stretch right from PGIMER to Transport Chowk is dotted with potholes.

During a visit, the HT team counted approximately 200 small and big pits on both side of the roads on the stretch that takes the load not only from local traffic but also form the people commuting to Panchkula.

Generally, the traffic here is on a higher side since it also meets Kalka-Shimla highway from Chandimandir Cantonment side.

It is learnt that the carpeting of the road was done more than seven years ago. Some patches were recarpeted much earlier. But the UT engineering department delayed the construction work even as the norms allow UT to lay fresh surface on a road after a lapse of five years. Former chief engineer Krishanjeet Singh said, “The UT should initiate the road repair work as soon as its permissible age limit is lapsed. There is no point wasting time and let the condition of the city roads deteriorate further.”

“This not only causes inconvenience to commuters but also creates technical issues in fresh repair works,” said Singh.

Engineering department sources said, “The re-carpeting file of Madhya Marg remained in motion from one office to another for last two years before ₹6 crore budget was finally approved last year and tendered for hiring a private construction firm.”

UT chief engineer Mukesh Anand said, “The contract to re-carpet the work has been allotted and the construction will finish before monsoon.”

‘Top surface withers away’

The entire stretch from Transport Chowk to PGI Chowk is riddled with patches. Also, top surface of the road has withered away and is deteriorating further. The stretch along Sector 19 which is damaged in several areas has more than 25 pits.

The road from Press Chowk light point towards Matka Chowk has more than 40 pits. On the other hand, the road along Sector 8 is equally tormented. Condition of roundabouts and chowks on Madhya Marg are equally worse. Crate like pits have formed in grain market chowk, and Sector 19/7 roundabout. PGI roundabout is worst among all.

Executive engineer Inderjeet Gulati, however, has blamed the leakages in water pipes that falls in the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation. “The repair work on the roads has been started, following which the roads will be freshly recarpeted,” he said.

Hassled commuters

Commuters however want UT to at least start the patch work on the damaged roads.A commuter Adarash Sharma said, “I have been living in the city since long but have never seen the Madhya Marg road in such a bad condition.”

Another commuter Nukul Chauhan said that while those driving four-wheelers are still safe, the two-wheeler riders have much bitter experience that may even prove fatal. “The damaged road should be repaired at the earliest,” he said.

Chief engineer Mukesh Anand said that patch work of the roads which are in a poor condition has already begun.

First Published: Mar 08, 2019 22:21 IST