Long-awaited reconstruction of hospital road begins in Doraha

The Doraha Municipal Council has initiated reconstruction on the hospital road and is now replacing the old surface with inter-locking paver blocks.

The development comes after The Tribune highlighted miserable condition of the road and the plight of commuters.

Potholes on the surface had made commuting a cumbersome affair for motorists. The damaged surface, coupled with deep ditches, obstructed traffic flow. The situation had been such for more than six months.

Anmol Sharma, nominated president, Municipal Council, said that the work had to be stopped temporarily due to model code of conduct being in force for the civic body polls.

“Now that the code has been lifted, the work has restarted. We are making efforts all to complete the work in the coming months. This is an important road as it leads to a hospital, and sees heavy movement of patients and ambulances. We are committed to ensuring quality work and Rs 43 lakh are being spent on the repairs,” Sharma said.

He added that repair work on other damaged roads in the town would also be completed in a phased manner in the coming months.

The hospital road serves as a key link for patients and also connects several nearby colonies. The stretch had been marred with deep potholes and broken edges, making it risky for two-wheelers and pedestrians. The council had dug up the road to install a drainage pipe from the water treatment plant to Beant Singh Chowk, but due to a delay in repairs, residents, passersby and commuters were left to suffer.

Ambulance drivers had complained they had to slow down even as they were ferrying critical patients. Residents of Dashmesh Nagar were forced to travel an extra mile to reach the vegetable market adjacent to the hospital, causing inconvenience and increasing their travel time.

The road was almost unusable during rains. “We are satisfied that the administration has taken note and started the work. It will resolve many of our daily problems,” said Barjinder Jandu, a social worker from Doraha.

“Earlier, we had to face a lot of inconvenience, especially at night and during emergencies. Now that the work has started, we thank the authorities,” said Harjeet Singh, a resident.

“We had been struggling on the road for so long. It was full of potholes and it became worse during rains. It is good that the council has initiated work. It will make a big difference for all of us,” said Onkar Singh, another local.