Trench in middle of road at Fatehabad village a safety threat for commuters

Villagers near Baijalpur village in Fatehabad district have put up red flags to warn commuters of a life-threatening trench in the middle of a road. However, no action is being taken by the authorities to fill the trench. Villagers have placed bamboo poles and red flags around the trench that has formed close to the Bhakhra Canal bridge to alert drivers. The villagers claimed that due to the negligence of the authorities concerned, the pothole has not been filled or repaired.

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Sarpanch Hemant Singh Baijalpuria said that accidents were common due to the trench, and now, with foggy conditions setting in, the stretch has become even more risky for drivers.

Baijalpuria said the problem began with the construction work on the water channel for direct supply from the Khairi Head to the Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) nuclear power plant, but despite the minor being constructed, the contractor left a large, deep trench in the middle of the road. He said many vehicles, especially two-wheelers, had already fallen into it and riders had sustained serious injuries. Despite this, both the contractor and authorities had failed to take action, Baijalpuria added.

He said people could lose lives due to the trench in fog, a major accident could happen anytime. He accused the contractor and administrative officials of waiting for a bigger incident to happen before taking action.

Villagers have urged the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of the Public Works Department to intervene and fix the trench before it leads to a major disaster. They said that if the pothole is not fixed in time, it would result in a serious accident.

Balbir Singh Malik, the Sub-Divisional Officer of the Public Works Department, explained that the construction of the water channel for the nuclear power plant’s water supply is stuck due to ongoing disputes between the contractor and the company. Despite several written and verbal communications, the work has not been completed, leaving the bridge and road in a dangerous condition.