Lack of clarity leaves Ludhiana's Ghumar Mandi overhaul stuck

LUDHIANA: The project of beautification of Ghumar Mandi and National Road, which has faced several bottlenecks, may not see the light of day soon. Although the project has been handed over to the MC, it is not clear when it will be carried out.
Officials said there was not enough space in the market to dig trenches for underground cables. However, they said that new water pipelines will be laid.
The Ghumar Mandi project, under the Ludhiana Smart City Limited, was among the first projects of the Smart City Mission. The project aims at making Ghumar Mandi, a popular shopping destination among city residents, a people-friendly space replete with all facilities.
Of the total revised project cost of Rs 25.67 crore, Rs 19.67 crore was supposed to be spent only on underground cables. Footpaths were planned on both sides of the road.
The plan also included specially designed benches, street lights, three water ATMs, advertising screens and rain shelters. The Ghumar Mandi project was initially prepared in 2019 at an initial cost of Rs 18.93 crore but despite floating tenders several times, officials could not start the project.
An official of the building branch said, "It is not possible to carry out this project in Ghumar Mandi as the road is not wide enough, so we are in a fix as to how to go about the work. We have suggested to authorities to give a simple makeover to this road instead of digging it deep."
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from West constituency Gurpreet Bassi Gogi said, "There is no difficulty in this project, rather I have asked officials to keep it pending as first National Highway Authority of India project should be completed at Ferozepur Road and then we will think about it." On challenges in the project, he said they would change the designs and plan afresh.
Meanwhile, people visiting the market continue to struggle to find parking space. Civil City resident Harpreet Singh said, "Before planning other big things, authorities should consider basic requirements like parking and public toilets. We have to think before visiting the market due to rush of vehicles."