Smart road fails to impress Amritsar residents

Amritsar, August 31

The road, laid around the wall of the holy city, was touted as the smart one, but commuters and residents do not find it smart enough. Reason: Several infrastructure shortcomings like missing covers of sewerage pose a risk to commuters.

The 7.4-km orbital road was declared to be a smart road in the city. The road has many open sewerage chambers and several other drawbacks. Besides, garbage lifting is tardy. Even construction material is strewn over the stretch at many points.

A ride on the stretch lays bare the fact that heaps of garbage are placed on pavements at several places and lids placed on a sewerage chamber are not strong enough as they can give in due to weight and at many places sewerage chambers are not covered.

Jaspal, a shopkeeper, alleges that sewer covers are treacherous for humans and animals. Once, a stray bull fell into a sewerage chamber. Before the commencement of civil work on the stretch, it was called an ambitious task of laying the smart road.

Naresh Kumar, another resident, said in the run-up to the elections, the construction of surface infrastructure was carried out at a fast pace, but in a haphazard manner.

The stretch, which has 12 historic gates, witnesses a high footfall of local residents and tourists, who come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. So, the shopkeepers display their merchandise on the roadside to tempt people. This display consumes a lot of precious space.

It is worth mentioning that then Cabinet Minister OP Soni had inaugurated the project under the Smart City Mission in September 2020. The project was to cost Rs 125 crore and was supposed to be completed in 28 months. However, it took off two years after its announcement.

Rampant encroachments by shopkeepers are another major infrastructure lapse.

A parking lot was to be established to facilitate travellers and streamline traffic. All electricity wires and other cables were to be taken underground, eliminating the need to dig ditches to lay cable in the future. Besides, all electricity poles and transformers would also be removed and replaced with the new compact substations.

Trash strewn on road

• The 7.4-km orbital road, declared a smart road, has many open sewer chambers
• Besides, garbage lifting is tardy. Even construction material is strewn over the stretch
• Heaps of garbage is seen on pavements and lids placed on sewer chambers are not strong enough as they can give in due to weight
• The stretch, which has 12 historic gates, witnesses a high footfall of residents and tourists, who come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple