Poor infra: Dug-up road and broken sewer pipes add to commuters' woes

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, March 27

Though The Tribune highlighted the bad condition of Kapurthala Road from Tagore Hospital to Workshop Chowk, the problem has gone from bad to worse in the past 27 days.

Now, sewer lines across Banda Bahadur Nagar and adjoining areas are chocked. With traffic being diverted from near Workshop Chowk, many accidents have taken place due to the dug-up road. The Jalandhar Mayor and the area councillor themselves highlighted the shoddy work on the road seeking penalisation of the company.

Dug up for a surface water project and an AMRIT water supply project, residents have been at the receiving end of huge incompetence with officials looking for the lost pipes, manholes and sewer lines turn by turn. The surface water project of laying pipelines is officially with L&T company.

A few days ago, a sewer pipeline burst causing water to spill over on the road, after that was fixed, they had been searching for an old sewer line. As of now, officials are looking for a manhole (which officials said had been buried for the past over 20 years) due to which this leg of the project is facing inordinate delays.

Scores of commuters are having a harrowing time. Last Monday, a three-wheeler and a truck were overturned on the stretch on the same day. Casualties have also taken place on the road where a man died after meeting with an accident with a trolley due to bad road near the petrol pump. Area councillor Kawaljit Kaur Gullu said, “We have personally taken up the issue of sewerage trouble in these areas caused by the ongoing work. Dirty sewer water has been standing for days at Banda Bahadur Gurdwara and Valmiki Mandir. Even sewer water entered residents’ houses. I have visited these sites. Our own pleas fell on deaf ears.”

Mayor Jagdish Raja said, “The road and affected sewerage work is causing huge harassment to people. L&T group is doing substandard work. They should be punished for it. Our own offcials have failed to monitor them properly. The surface water project is causing huge harassment to citizens due to the firm’s work.”

Students, patients a harried lot

• Ajay Sareen, Principal, HMV College, Jalandhar, said: “Our students are facing constant problems due to the bad stretch. Delay in work causes huge congestions, dust and inconvenience. The delay in the project is causing problems to our students. We request officials to undertake work at night and at day and complete the project at the earliest.”
• Tarsem Kapoor, chairman, Apahaj Ashram Jalandhar, said: “Due to broken roads, patients and donors coming to us have been reduced significantly. The Apahaj Ashram also houses an in-house hospital for the destitute. The road on the other side of HMV College is blocked due to construction. Traffic is being diverted causing a huge congestion.”
• Dr Vijay Mahajan MD, Tagore Hospital, said: “The road was earlier filled with water, a week ago, two vehicles fell and accidents are common. Our ambulances are also in for a bumpy ride.”