Khase-Bakna road stretch cries for attention

Nearly 4.5 km road stretch from Khasa to Bakna, a historic and important village, has become a commuters’ nightmare. The road, which connects dozens of villages beyond Bakna and the city, has been in very bad shape and seems to be non-existent. It has developed large potholes, making it difficult for vehicles to ply.

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While Khasa is known for its distillery, Bakna is the native village of freedom fighter Baba Sohan Singh Bakna.

The stretch is crucial for residents of over two dozen villages as it leads to medical and educational facilities in the city. However, commuters get a painful experience while driving down the horrible stretch.

To make the matters worse, a RCC slab on the nullah bridge near Chak Mukand village on the stretch has caved in, further complicating the things. Astonishingly, no warning sign has been put at the place to alert commuters about the potential danger ahead.

Residents of the affected villages are frustrated over the apathetic attitude of the authorities concerned. “We have been complaining about the condition of the road for months, but nothing has been done in this regard,” said Bikkar Singh, a resident of Bakna village.

He said the battered road has not only become a nuisance, but also a safety hazard. The residents have urged the authorities to take immediate action to repair the road and restore the bridge.

The road is also used by a large number of government and private employees living in the city to reach their offices, places of work and shops in rural areas. Sandeep Singh, a daily commuter, said, “The stretch is giving us trouble daily as we have to shift gears every few seconds to cross hurdles.” He said people have to spend more on maintenance of their vehicles that get damaged due to the bad road.