Potholes on the Mubarikpur road in Mohali. (Express File)
Commute on the main link road between Haryana and Punjab has become nightmare for hundreds of people, as the sewage water flowing from the side of Ramgarh in Haryana has dilapidated around a 100-meter long stretch of road over the last one month.
The sewage water has been flowing on the Mubarikpur road in Mohali district. Local residents claim that a few residents of Ramgarh village deliberately blocked the sewage pipeline diverting its flow in the opposite direction, which opens towards the side of Mubarikpur. A written complaint was submitted to the Panchkula MC and the commuters also raised the issue with Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta, but all in vain.
MC Commissioner Sumedha Kataria said, “We need a digging machine for cleaning the choked sewage pipeline but MC does not have any such machine. The machine is available with the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). I have asked a XEN rank officer to coordinate with the HSVP officials. I am trying to solve the problem at the earliest.”
However, residents of Ramgarh and Mubarikpur said that a fortnight has passed since they raised the the matter with the Panchkula MC, however, no action was taken.
A local resident and shopkeeper, Ajmer Singh said, “A few mischievous elements deliberately blocked the sewage pipeline on the side of Ramgarh and diverted the water towards Mubraikpur road. Water has entirely damaged the road. Around 100-meter of the road is filled with big and deep potholes. Driving vehicles on the road is dangerous. Every day mishaps are taking place. Even pedestrian cannot walk on the road without risking their safety. Our business is also suffering. Water flows outside our shops and customers do not prefer to come to these shops.”
A resident of Dafarpur village, Radhika Sharma said, “The sewage water falls on two vacant plots located on right side of the road. The spots have turned into dirty water ponds. It has become a health hazard. We took up the matter with our village sarpanch, who also spoke to the Panchkula MC officials, however, no solution has been worked out. Every motorist wants to avoid potholes and drive on the wrong side. Potholes are right in the middle of the road.”
On condition of anonymity, officials at Panchkula MC said, “The link road from the side of Ramgarh is always in a damaged condition. It was repaired last time in October 2019 before Vidhan Sabha elections in Haryana. It was repaired ahead of an election rally.”
Around 100 meter stretch of the Ramgarh-Mubarikpur road falls under the jurisdiction of Panhckula Municipal Corporation. While shops are located on both sides of the road, Government Senior Secondary School, Ramgarh police post and a primary health centre of Panchkula is also situated on the road.