Deadly roads of Shimlapuri far from repairs

Ludhiana: Despite the tragic incident wherein a seven-year-old girl lost her life in an accident due to poor condition of roads at Shimlapuri last month, the state of affairs has barely improved. The issue has become a major concern for residents, especially those living around Gill Road, Jawahar Nagar Road, Focal Point and Giaspura.
Sukhwinder Pal Singh, a businessman living near Gill Road, said, “Ludhiana should not be called a smart city if we do not even have decent roads. No efforts are being made to repair the broken roads. Contractors do not use good material for carrying out the repair work of the roads as the asphalt gets washed off even after a short spell of rain.”

A student from New Model Town, Ishupuneet Singh, said, “Authorities are not even able to provide us with basic facilities, how can we ask for anything else for development from them? Even after such roads have led to many fatal accidents in the city, the MC is not bothered about repairing them.”

“The heavily travelled road outside Jawahar Nagar camp is lying in a poor state and is giving commuters and residents nightmares. Something needs to be done about it, or innocent ones will keep losing their lives,” he rued.

Nassar travels to Focal Point for work almost every day, but says commuting through bumps and potholes is no joke. “Roads are in such condition that one has to trust his grip on the vehicle’s handle and every time you don’t meet with an accident, you heave a sigh of relief. After rains, water accumulates fast on these bad roads and camouflages the deadly potholes. Two-wheeler riders skidding and splashing against the filth is a common sight,” he said.

When contacted on the issue, the MC commissioner was not available for comment.