Lamp posts under Zirakpur flyover never lit up

Gaurav Kanthwal

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Zirakpur, May 1

Around Rs 3.5 crore of public money meant for the beautification work of the area under the Zirakpur flyover have gone down the drain. The fancy lamp posts installed underneath the flyover in an area over a km long have not been lit even once after their installation. Some of them have been stolen or vandalised as only posts remain there.

Ornamental plants could not stand the test of time. Local resident Sikandar complained that the lamp post never lit up. Passerby Govind sarcastically smiled and summed up the situation as, “Punjab hai ye…”

Another passerby Abbas said these were not required at all. “Garbage, stray cattle, traffic and waterlogging issues need to be addressed first. Beautification may be done later,” he added.

In 2020, a proposal for the ‘Gateway of Punjab’ project was mooted and the area underneath the flyover was to be beautified with ornamental plants on the 2.7-km stretch under the Zirakpur MC limits.

Landscaping, greenery and walking tracks were proposed in the area. Toilets and seating area were to be made near the Patiala chowk on the Zirakpur-Patiala stretch. Ornamental plants, benches and decorative lights were mooted to be put up in the entire area.

While the residents may find fault with the Zirakpur Municipal Council and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for their lackadaisical approach in the upkeep of the area, local residents too have the responsibility to keep their surroundings neat and clean.

“Rampant defacement of the area, garbage and vegetable disposal in the market area are also responsible for such state of affairs,” said an NHAI official.