Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 7

Five years after Ludhiana’s name was announced to be developed as a smart city, broken roads depict the actual situation in the city.

More big potholes have appeared on the roads and internal streets in different parts of the city amid the ongoing rainy season, adding to the woes of commuters.

The patchwork to repair the potholes in several areas was not even conducted before the arrival of the monsoon. The MC’s hot-mix plant, wherein material to lay patches is prepared, remains closed during the rainy season. Now, the situation has turned worse on several roads, giving open invitations to mishaps.

The potholes on Gill Road, Ishmeet Singh Road, Field Ganj road, Model Town Road, Hambran Road, a stretch along the Buddha Nullah, Dugri Road, Dhandari flyover road, a portion of Elevated Road, Old GT Road, Vishwakarma Chowk to Sherpur Chowk stretch, Focal Point roads and other roads are crying for attention. Even a few potholes appeared on a the recently recarpeted stretch from Jagraon Bridge towards Vishwakarma Chowk. The broken roads are not only posing threat to commuters but also causing damage to vehicles.

A teacher from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, located on Gill Road, said: “The main Gill Road has badly broken. Moreover, waterlogging increased the woes of commuters on the stretch.”

Rajat Sood, a businessman from the city, said: “If the roads were carpeted or constructed in a good manner, these would not have broken within a short period. The MC should take the matter seriously. The broken roads must be repaired immediately.”

Leader of the Opposition in the MC House Harbhajan Singh Dang said: “The potholes are visible everywhere in the city. Accidents are occurring due to broken roads. A girl riding a two-wheeler recently met with a mishap on a potholed road. If the MC can’t ensure patchwork in a right manner during the rainy season, it must take steps to get the potholes filled with cold bitumen, soil or other material to avert mishaps. The Mayor and the MC Commissioner should order officials to get all potholes filled in the next two days.”

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said the MC had started laying patches with cold bitumen on major roads. After rainy days, the hot-mix plant would be made functional and patchwork would be carried out in the city.