As monsoon looms, road re-carpeting hangs fire

Satinder Pal Singh

Zirakpur, June 24

It’s that time of the year which residents of Zirakpur dread wading through knee-deep water and manoeuvring pothole ridden roads during the rainy season.

As monsoon is round the corner and while the residents of Zirakpur are hoping for rains to bring relief from the sweltering heat, commuting is likely to become more painful as roads in various parts of the city are eroded and worn off. So throughout the rainy season commute is going to be difficult.

Residents of Baltana are facing a tough time in commuting from their residence as the only approach road to entire city is sated with broken and riddled with potholes and the road sees major traffic snarls during peak hours.

At the entrance of Baltana near the K-area traffic lights, the road have turned from bad to worse in the past several years, leaving locals to worry about the situation after the onset of monsoon.

Locals allege that the road which connects to the entire Baltana area has not been macadamised for over two years. Flying dust, water stagnation and potholes on the roads are making it tough for motorists to drive in such poor conditions.

The biggest worry of retailers at Baltana is that if the road repair work is not restored before monsoon and rains of the intensity similar to that on Monday occurs then they might have to put up with the monsoon nightmare this year too.

The residents said though they have not been forfeiting on their taxes, MC officials have not cared to visit their area and check if the basic amenities are being provided to them.

Kulwinder Sohi, President, Zirakpur MC, said: “Around Rs 40 crore was allotted for the repair, re-carpeting and widening of roads in the city. Most of the repair work is complete. So, based on the requirement and condition of the Baltana stretch, we will carry the repair work before the onset on monsoon.”

What they said

The road has been in a pitiable state for the more than two years. Yet the authorities continue to drag their feet. There has been no repair work or even a patch up all these years. During the monsoon, the situation gets worse and walking on the stretch is fraught with risks. — Arvinder Singh, owner at Style Furniture, Baltana

The road of this area has eroded and the situation worsens during the monsoon, as the entire stretch of lane is flooded by knee-deep rainwater, making it difficult for residents to come out. — Tarsem, a retailer

 We have been battling these problems, including water-logging, for the past several years. These problems have only grown worse. The roads here are in a pathetic state. They have been crying out for repair but the authorities do not seem to care. — Karamveer Singh, local resident