Heavy rain damages Jammu roads

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 28

The first heavy rain of the monsoon has exposed the quality of work done by the state Public Works Department (PWD) as many roads of Jammu city and on its periphery were washed away yesterday.

The rain washed away many roads, including at Roop Nagar and Janipur, and many other roads had developed potholes in all localities of Jammu.

The rainwater entered many houses and shops, damaging property of people in different localities. Roads in Jammu were worst affected after the heavy rain that lashed the city.

“The rain washed away the entire road of this lane and other roads had developed potholes. The department had tarred this road and this first heavy rain of the rainy season has washed it away,” said Surinder Kumar, a shopkeeper at Janipur near Excelsior Lane.

“Long queues of vehicles were seen on this road this morning due to the damaged road. Same is the condition of other lanes in the locality,” he said.

This condition of the road after the rain has raised a question mark over the functioning and work being done by the PWD in Jammu.

The PWD had macadamised roads in the city last year for which Rs 50 crore was announced by the then chief minister and PWD minister. The department had completed major areas of the city like Janipur, News Plot, Talab Tillo, Patta Bohri, Satwari chowk to the women’s college, Mubarak Mandhi, Radio Station, Moti Bazar, Purani Mandi, city chowk, Shaheedi chowk, DC Office, Residency Road, Gandhi Nagar, Green Belt and Railway Station Road.

PWD Chief Engineer Alok Mengi said, “The unprecedented rain has damaged many roads, including Roop Nagar Enclave and Excelsior Lane at Janipur. Our team is assessing the damage, which will take two or three days. But temporary restoration work on these roads has been started.”

“The roads, which were constructed recently, will be repaired by contractors themselves as it was the main agreement of the contract this time,” he added.