‘Path of misery’: Davida Ahirana-Phadman road turns hazardous, locals demand action

The Davida Ahirana–Phadman link road, once a crucial route for villagers, students and shopkeepers, has deteriorated into a hazardous and unhygienic stretch that locals now describe as a “path of misery.” Over the past two to three years, the condition of the road has worsened to the point that daily commuting has become a struggle for thousands.

The link road has been severely damaged by overflowing sewage from nearby houses and market areas. Stagnant wastewater has carved out huge potholes—some nearly 10 feet long and just as wide—turning almost half a kilometre of the stretch into a muddy, foul-smelling pond rather than a functional public road.

Schoolchildren are forced to wade through contaminated water every morning. Vehicles splashing through the slush soak pedestrians, while the stench and unhygienic conditions pose a growing health threat. Social activist and Labour Party President Jai Gopal Dhiman warned that the accumulated sewage has become a breeding ground for infections. “This water is carrying bacteria straight into people’s homes,” he said. “Children and elders are falling sick with cough, cold, asthma and skin infections. Is this the development we were promised?”

Dhiman, along with his associate Surinder Singh, has sharply criticised the Punjab Government, accusing it of neglect and pushing the region toward an infrastructural crisis. “For years we have been hearing only paper announcements about road construction. Not a single machine has touched the ground,” Dhiman said. “People deserve to know—where is the money meant for development actually going?”

According to Dhiman, the state of the road reflects a deeper issue: misuse of taxpayers’ money. “People pay taxes for better roads and safer mobility—not for false propaganda,” he said. He asserted that the deteriorating stretch is causing economic losses by damaging vehicles, harming public health, polluting the environment and violating fundamental rights. “The Punjab Government is fully responsible for every loss caused by these broken roads,” he stated.

Dhiman also urged citizens to speak up instead of silently suffering. “It has been 78 years since Independence. Are these the roads we deserve? Are we meant to suffer for simply going to school or work?” he asked. He has lodged a formal complaint with the Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, and has emailed the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking urgent intervention.