Don’t shut level-crossing gates for 4 days over mela, DC urged

Jalandhar, September 2

The Royal Club, representing residents of Ram Nagar and Gandhi Nagar, in a letter addressed to DC Himanshu Aggarwal has urged to reconsider the four-day closure of level-crossing gates in their area during the upcoming Sodal Mela. The closure will isolate their locality from the rest of the city.

Suraj Birdi, general secretary of the Royal Club, outlined the severe impact of the annual closure of Railway Crossing S-62, located on the Amritsar line in Ram Nagar. He said this closure cut off the access to essential areas and created a logistical nightmare for the densely populated neighbourhood of Ram Nagar and Gandhi Nagar. The areas, he said, were already surrounded by multiple barriers, including the Bist Doab Canal, DAV institutions and the busy Amritsar and Ferozepur railway lines.

“The closure of this gates will leave us stranded, cutting off our only route to the railway station and the industrial zone,” Birdi stated. “What used to be a one-day inconvenience has now become a four-day ordeal in recent years, disrupting our daily lives and making it nearly impossible to manage during emergencies”, he added.

They acknowledged the need for the enhanced safety measures during the event but suggested that instead of a full closure, the administration could consider other way out. These could include deploying additional security personnel and restricting larger vehicles like cars and tractor-trailers on the route.

In their letter to the DC, residents emphasised the urgency of finding a balanced approach that addressed their concerns.