Residents protest road construction without removing existing surface
Residents and shopkeepers held a protest over the ongoing road construction work being carried out without first removing the existing road surface in Dhab Wasti Ram area of Ward No.49 here on Saturday.
Residents say that instead of reconstructing the road properly, the authorities concerned are laying a new layer of bitumen over the old road, which will increase the road level significantly. This, they say, will cause waterlogging in nearby houses and shops during the rainy season.
The protest has brought to light the growing dissatisfaction with the Amritsar Municipal Corporation’s handling of infrastructure development in the area. Councillor Sunny Kundra of Ward No.49 criticised the project, claiming it is an unnecessary and wasteful expenditure. He noted that the existing road only required minor patchwork repairs, not a full overlay, and argued that vital development projects in the area are being ignored.
Kundra expressed concern that while the road from Namak Mandi Chowk to Atta Mandi, a 500-mtr stretch leading to Darbar Sahib, remains in a dilapidated condition, the funds, approved for its repair during the regime of the previous Congress government, have gone unused under the current Aam Aadmi Party administration. This stretch is frequently used by pilgrims and local residents alike, making its neglect even more frustrating to them.
Highlighting other civic issues, councillor Kundra stated that several areas in the ward, including Kali Gali, are in urgent need of basic amenities like tube wells, and many of the sewer and water supply pipelines are outdated and broken. Residents believe that these pressing issues should be addressed before relaying roads that are still structurally sound.
Local shopkeepers said the construction work has made it difficult for customers to easily reach their stores, affecting their business. They further said since this road connects with key religious sites such as Darbar Sahib, Shaheedan Sahib Gurdwara, and Majith Mandi, the construction work should have been carried out at night to mitigate inconvenience to public.
