Dark roads haunt city residents

Ajay Joshi
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 11

In March this year, a youth in mid 20s lost his life in a tragic accident at Suranussi- Amritsar highway. He was riding pillion with his cousin Manwinder on a motorcycle. Manvinder said had their been streetlights, the incident could have been averted. Due to the absence of lights, their bike collided with the divider, while they were heading towards their home. Similarly, many accidents have occurred on the Maqsudan-Kartarpur-Amritsar Highway. Taking no cognizance of the mishaps, authorities failed to provide a regular supply of electricity on the highway.

The streetlights on the Maqsuda-Kartarpur-Amritsar Highway have been lying defunct for the past many days. Infact, it has been more than a month now since the poles have been illuminated. Commuters said as the winters were approaching, there was more risk involved. The NH-1 highway also connects to Delhi and several other states, hence it was a cause for concern. During winter, the foggy nights further raise the danger level, said Amit Kumar, a transporter.

It is also prominent to mention here that Maqsudan Bypass, is one of the busiest roads in city which receives heavy traffic during day as well night. People usually take this route to commute to Amritsar or subsequent areas.

Gurdeep Singh, a security guard at a nearby factory said, residents as well as the passers-by at Suranussi-Bidhipur area face inconvenience as the road connecting the two residential areas lacks the presence of any streetlights, making it difficult for commuters to ply on road during night. Besides, it also poses a serious threat to the lives of residents as many accidents take place at the spot.

Yashpal Singh, project director for the Bidhipur- Kartarpur- Amritsar Highway said, we have asked the PSPCL for the electric connection for all the defunct lights, however due to unavailability of any contractor, electricity couldn’t be supplied for some time. Project manager Jyoti Manager said several complaints had been made to the PSPCL for the Maqsudan- Amritsar- PAP Highway route but to no avail.