Commuters irked as Sewerage Board shuts down state highway

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, March 9

Thousands of commuters have to face inconvenience every day as the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) officials, after digging up the strategically important Gurdaspur-Mukerian state highway ostensibly to lay sewerage pipes, seem to have lost their way and are unable to figure out from where to start and where to end.

Work has been going on since January and officials claim that it will be the last week of May, when the last of the pipes will be laid. “Imagine a state highway remaining closed for nearly five months! This can happen only in India. Incredible India,” remarked Nirmal Singh, a commuter, who used to travel to Mukerian to get medicine but can no longer go now.

Tibri cantonment is located on this very stretch of road. Army men had taken this route when they had to travel to the Dinanagar police station to quell the July 27, 2015, terror attack. In this border district, where infiltrations are common, PSWSSB officials may well have to face the flak if some incident happens and the Army is unable to reach the site on time.

A 2 km detour has been earmarked through Kothe Gharala village but this stretch of road, which in any case is barely wide enough to let two cars coming from opposite directions pass without one of them getting its paint peeled off, too, has caved in.

“The road was bound to develop fissures because it has to bear heavy traffic in the form of sand and gravel laden trucks and tippers and sugarcane carrying tractor-trailers. What was meant to be a 5-minute diversion has become a nightmarish one hour drive,” said a truck driver.

“Development comes at a cost,” said a Board official rather nonchalantly.

Harinder Singh, Chief Engineer, PSWSSB, said he was apprised of the mater “and was in the process of taking action.” What action he would, or could, take remains in the realms of speculation because the road has already been dug up and there is little he can do at this stage.

Satnam Singh, Executive Engineer of the Board, said action will be taken against the Contractor if he overshoots the target of March 30. “This is a justification which does not carry weight. Going by the sheer magnitude of work, the highway may not reopen at least till June,” said an official.

Manmohan Singh, PWD XEN, said the Board had taken permission from his department. He said he never knew that things would come to such a pass where commuters would be at the receiving end for no fault of theirs.” He confirmed that a joint inspection of his department and PSWSSB would be held early next week to sort out the issue.