Potholed roads vex Rohtak commuters

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 15

Most of the roads leading to Rohtak as well as those inside the city, including the posh HSVP sectors, are in a pathetic condition for nearly two years.

Rohtak residents as well as commuters passing through the city have been suffering due to the badly broken and potholed roads. Local legislators ranging from the municipal councillors to MLAs and even the state’s Leader of Opposition have brought up the issue on numerous occasions.

Senior government functionaries, including leaders of the ruling party as well as administrative officers, have also pulled up local officials concerned for the delay, mismanagement and lack of coordination, but to no avail. “Most residents and commuters continue to tolerate the inconvenience being caused to them due to bad roads, thinking that the roads will be repaired or reconstructed in due course. However, the authorities concerned seem to be completely indifferent to their plight,” says Vineet Kumar, a local trader.

Residents complain that traffic congestion has become the order of the day and accidents take place frequently as incoming and outgoing traffic is merged on the Delhi road and Sonipat road, both of which are in a pitiable condition for about two years now.

Apart from the usual excuses of “not in our jurisdiction” and “official procedure in progress”, the officials concerned have also been trying to hide behind the “prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic” and “ban on construction activities by NGT owing to high pollution levels” in the recent past.

Contacted for comments, Rohtak Municipal Commissioner Dr Narhari Singh Banger, who was also holding the charge of the local HSVP Administrator, said the tendering process for the construction of roads in HSVP sectors was underway.

On the other hand, PWD (B&R) Executive Engineer Udayvir Jhajria said the work on Delhi road along Baba Mastnath University could not be started due to laying of water/sewerage pipelines by the local MunicipalCorporation. “The official paperwork regarding the construction of Sonepat road passing through Bohar village is in progress and work on it will start soon,” he stated.