Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road a nightmare for motorists

Avneet Kaur

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Jalandhar, August 7

The deplorable condition of the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road is taking a toll on daily commuters as well as pilgrims, triggering frustration and disappointment.

Despite promises made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann two and a half months ago to get the road repaired, commuters and devotees continue to suffer with little relief in sight.

Major portion resembles a pond

The repair work, initiated over two months ago, had only seen partial completion with the internal roads of Adampur town being renovated to some extent. However, a major part of the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road now resembles a pond with rainwater accumulating in the potholes, making it impossible for even two-wheelers to traverse the path.

The repair work, initiated over two months ago, had only seen partial completion with the internal roads of Adampur town being renovated to some extent. However, a major part of the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road now resembles a pond with rainwater accumulating in the potholes, making it impossible for even two-wheelers to traverse the path.

“Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann pledged to expedite the road construction during his election campaign, but these promises remain unfulfilled. The stretch between the Lame village chowk and Adampur, particularly the areas of Khurdpur, Kathar, Nasrala and Piplanwala, are causing inconvenience to commuters. The dilapidated condition of the road led many people to opt for alternative routes through Phagwara, adding an extra 20 kms to their journey,” said Rakesh Verma, a software engineer.

He said travelling on the road is no less than a nightmare. “I leave home early in the morning, hoping to reach my workplace on time. This road turns my 30-minute drive into a tedious one-hour ordeal. My bike often gets stuck in deep potholes, leaving me frustrated and exhausted before I even start my workday,” he added.

Moreover, the 40-km-long Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur-Chohal Road, which was expected to be repaired at a cost of Rs 13.74 crore, has seen little progress, triggering the frustrations of pilgrims who enter Himachal Pradesh through this route to offer prayers at Mata Chintpurni temple during the month of Sawan. These pilgrims, hailing from Rajasthan, Malwa and Doaba areas, are now being forced to endure longer and more challenging journeys to reach Hoshiarpur.

“Mata Chintpurni Mela is starting from August 17, and a large number of devotees will be travelling to Chintpurni. Therefore, the authorities must look into the matter and get the road repaired at the earliest,” said Meena Kapoor.

Anjali Kaur, another devotee from Jalandhar, expressed her concern saying, “Potholes and stagnant water on the road have made our travel extremely treacherous. Several devotees have turned away, fearing for their safety. It’s disheartening to see such negligence on part of the government”.