‘Smart’ road loses sheen, illegal parking, poor upkeep mar project in Amritsar

Encroachments and illegal parking have taken sheen out of the Rs 125-crore smart road project. The 7.4-km circular road connecting the walled city’s 12 historic gates was developed under the Smart City Mission between 2020 and 2025. The project was inaugurated by then Cabinet Minister OP Soni in September 2020.

The aim was to give a facelift to the area around the historic gates and ease congestion.

What once aimed at attracting tourists, now looks like a mess. Several features promised under the project have either been damaged or gone missing. Grills installed along the road have been stolen at several places, while footpaths have been occupied by mechanics, vendors, vehicles and other encroachments.

The stretch from Bhagtanwala Gate to Lohgarh Gate has been illegally occupied by car mechanics.

Ditto is the situation of footpaths, where vendors are ruling the roost. The encroachments force pedestrians to walk on the carriageway, increasing the risk of accidents.

Outside the Beri Gate petrol pump, one can see stray cattle roaming around. At several locations, heavy vehicles are parked along footpaths, damaging tiles, utility ducts and manholes constructed as part of the project. Condemned vehicles can also be seen parked near the Hakima Gate police post.

Social activist Pawan Sharma said the utilisation of funds under the Smart City Mission should be examined. He alleged that the road had not been developed in the manner shown in the project plans and claimed that there was little that could now be termed “smart” about the road.