Construction material on roads irks commuters

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 13

Local residents and shopkeepers are openly flouting instructions despite ban by the administration on storage of construction material on roadsides.

Heaps of sand, gravel and stacks of iron bars on roads outside under construction houses and commercial buildings can be spotted at numerous places in the city.

Commuters are inconvenienced as little passage is left for vehicles and pedestrians. Earlier, the administration had imposed a ban keeping in view problems faced by residents.

Heaps of sand on road cause pollution. The level of dust in the air goes up considerably. “The use of roads for stacking construction material should not be allowed. The level of dust in the city is already so high that it is difficult for a two-wheeler rider to drive,” said Rajesh Kumar, a local resident. He said owners of under construction buildings should be held responsible for any violation of instructions.

Another resident Harmandeep Singh said, “It is unethical to trouble people by storing construction goods on road. The problem is more severe in narrow streets as it blocks the passage entirely.” He said the administration should take notice of such violations and sensitise violators about rights of others.

Apart from owners of under construction buildings, many shopkeepers have stored construction material in services lanes near the Railway workshop. These service lanes have been rendered useless as heaps of sand and gravel leave no passage for commuters. Residents demanded that the administration should clear roads encroached by shopkeepers selling construction material.