Jalandhar: Dilapidated roads leave commuters peeved

Tribune News Service

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Jalandhar, June 8

Commuters and residents have raised concerns over the dilapidated condition of two of city’s busiest roads — Nakodar Road (Ravidas Chowk to Nakodar Chowk) and Mahavir Marg (Nakodar Chowk to Kapurthala Chowk) — which remain damaged and dust-ridden months after being dug up for the surface water project.

Despite underground pipelines having been laid on some stretches, the roads have not been repaired, resulting in daily inconvenience, safety risks and business losses.

“These roads are a nightmare to travel on,” said Amandeep Kaur, a college student who takes Nakodar Road daily. “Scooters and autos keep skidding. It’s an accident waiting to happen,” she said.

The dug-up stretches — lined with potholes, loose gravel and mounds of sand — are making life difficult especially for ambulances and emergency vehicles. “A patient was delayed reaching our hospital just yesterday because the ambulance got stuck in traffic near Nakodar Road,” said a senior staff member of a private hospital.

Local shopkeepers say customer footfall has sharply declined as people avoid the stretch. “It’s hard to even stand outside the shop for long due to dust and vibrations from the passing vehicles,” said Jarnail Singh, who runs a shop on Mahavir Marg.

Frustrated commuters and residents say there has been no clarity from the administration on when repairs will be done. “The pipes were laid weeks ago. Now we’re just left with this mess,” said Sushil Sharma, a resident of the area.

When asked about the delay, Mayor Vaneet Dhir explained that the work is still in progress. “In the last two and a half months, pipelines have been laid on a 14-km stretch along these roads. Another 14-km stretch is pending and will be completed within two months. Once that’s done, we’ll allow the sand to settle before starting road repairs,” he said.

Meanwhile, with the monsoon approaching, commuters fear worsening conditions, including waterlogging and further traffic snarls. “Everyday the condition is deteriorating,” said Harjit Singh, a daily commuter. “If things don’t improve soon, we may be forced to take to the streets in protest.”