Commuters’ safety ignored as no relief from potholes

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 15

Commuters are continuously being forced to suffer on broken roads of the city as the Municipal Corporation (MC) has failed to ensure the timely repair of potholes before the arrival of the winter season this year too.

Now, the hotmix plant, where the material is prepared for patch work on roads, is lying closed due to the winter season and is likely to be reopened after around three months.

The potholes on Ishmeet Singh Road, BRS Nagar stretch near the Sunet level crossing, Model Town, Salem Tabri, Old GT Road, Old city areas, Focal Point and a number of other areas are crying for attention.

Residents have raised the question as to how the city could become smart with so many potholes on roads crying for repair.

Also, a number of road mishaps have taken place due to potholes on city roads. A girl had received serious injuries in a road mishap allegedly due to a pothole in the Model Town area last month.

The chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects Punjab Chapter, Sanjay Goel, said, “Every year, the road repair work comes to a halt due to the closure of the hotmix plant during the rainy season as well as in winters. The MC should find out a solution to ensure the timely repair of roads and the safety of the commuters must be ensured.”

Goel added, “The civic body should construct concrete roads as these are more durable. If constructed as per the norms, the lifespan of a concrete road is much higher than the traditional bitumen roads. Concrete roads are safe and can have a service life spanning 40 years, withstanding wear and tear better than flexible bitumen roads.”

Kapil Arora of the Council of Engineers said, “Due to the apathy of the MC, commuters are forced to suffer on potholed roads in the city. However, the road repair work is under way on the national highway these days. The road carpeting work is also conducted during low temperature in hilly areas. The Municipal Corporation can also conduct the road repair work here in sunlight during the winter season by following proper techniques and procedure. Besides, seal coat must be ensured in right manner always. The material prepared in a hotmix plant should be used within a short time.”

The MC’s Superintending Engineer, Parveen Singla, who looks after the operations of the hotmix plant, said the plant had been shut down due to the winters and was likely to be reopened around March 15 or whenever the weather conditions improved.”

The Superintending Engineer at MC’s Zone A, Teerath Bansal, said they would get the potholes repaired with alternative ways on a temporary basis during this winter season as the hotmix plant was lying closed at present.