8 days after sewer burst, Sirsa road remains closed

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, June 26

The Rania-Ellenabad stretch here has been closed to traffic since the main sewer line on the Rania road burst eight days ago, causing inconvenience to commuters.

Barricades have been put up near ITI Chowk and as a result, commuters are forced to navigate narrow and uneven alleyways.

Heavy vehicles diverted through streets near the HAFED warehouse have worsened the situation, causing frequent traffic jams and damaging roads. Potholes have appeared on a number of stretches, increasing the chances of accidents.

Residents said the condition of interior roads is deteriorating due to heavy traffic and big vehicles are posing a threat to sewer lines.

Notably, after the collapse of the main 72 mm line, the authorities had to dig up more than 25 feet on a 100-metre section of the Rania road.

These trenches have been filled with water due to the recent rainfall, raising concerns over the safety of nearby buildings during the monsoon. Residents have urged the authorities to repair the road at the earliest to prevent major accidents.

Gokul Setia, who contested the Assembly elections in 2019, highlighted the issue in a Facebook live, criticising the “slow” repair work on the damaged portion of the Rania road near Rania Chungi. The road was reconstructed nearly one year ago and has been sinking for more than two months, he said.

Accusing local contractors of corruption, he alleged that substandard material has led to the collapse of the road and the sewer line. Setia said 70 per cent of the city’s water supply is now contaminated.

Bhanu Prakash Sharma, Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department, Sirsa, said the sewer line was laid in 2001-2002 and its condition was already deteriorating. He said the repair work is underway and the road will be opened to traffic within four to five days.