Harrowing experience: It is travails on battered internal roads

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 24

The internal roads, leading from Bhagtanwala grain market towards Chabbal, and several other nearby villages, including Ibban Khurd, are in utter state of neglect. The link roads emerging from this road are mostly taken by devotees, who visit Baba Buddha Saheb Gurudwara, and by farmers visiting the grain market.

This is one of the busiest routes in the area. Like several internal and link roads in the city, the main roads in this area are also dotted with potholes and ditches, making life of commuters more miserable, who are also battling several other civic issues.

Councillor’s take

One of the major reasons for delayed development of internal roads in this area is that it falls under two different wards, claims local councillor Reena Chopra. The main link road from Bhagtanwala towards Chabbal comes under Ward No. 69 and another one towards Ward No. 65. The area also falls under two different constituencies — South and Central Amritsar. So, the road as well as other development works need to be divided. Also, the work on internal roads got stalled due to the lockdown and later the tender process was delayed due to the monsoon.

Though the Municipal Corporation had sanctioned Rs 20 crore for re-carpeting major roads, several internal roads, it seems, have not got the required attention of the civic body. The Bhagtanwala grain market, one of the major centres of commercial activity in the area a few metres away, the internal roads, especially the one from grain market leading towards Chabbal, have not been re-carpeted for the past five-six years. 'These roads have never been anyone's priority. My family has been living in this area for last three decades and I have never seen this road in a good condition. The locals are used to it but it is also a major cause of traffic congestion every day," said Prabhjot Singh, a resident who runs a mobile repair shop on the main road.

The road is commonly used by commuters travelling between Chabbal and the walled city. “Anyone taking this road has to leave an hour before to avoid getting stuck here,” said Sahil Singh, a shopkeeper.

One of the major reasons for delayed development of internal roads in this area, as local councilor Reena Chopra, shared, is that it falls under two different wards.

“The main link road from Bhagtanwala towards Chabbal comes under ward 69 and another one towards ward 65. The area also falls under two different constituencies, ie, South and Central Amritsar. So, the road works and other development works need to be divided. Also, work on internal roads got stalled due to lockdown and later, tendering got delayed due to monsoon. We have got several development works passed and we are working on opening tenders for road works as well.”

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