Ludhiana traders stage protest alleging delay in Noorwala Road repair

Traders and shopkeepers staged a protest on Monday over what they alleged was a prolonged delay in restoration of Noorwala Road.

The protest under the National Highway flyover lasted for nearly two hours and the protesters urged the Municipal Corporation (MC) to immediately complete the road construction work.

The road was dug up around five months ago for laying sewerage and water pipelines. With restoration work still incomplete, traders allege the damaged stretch has severely affected businesses and daily life.

The protesters said the uneven road becomes a major problem during the monsoon as rainwater enters shops and damages goods. They complained that dust from the broken road settles inside shops, making it difficult to run businesses.

Shopkeepers said the situation has become more serious with the festive season approaching. They claimed customers avoid visiting the market because of the poor condition of the road, resulting in a sharp decline in earnings.

“If the road is not restored immediately, we will be forced to intensify our protest and block the road next week,” one of the protesters said, adding that the administration will be responsible for any inconvenience caused by the agitation.

Ward councillor Pallavi Vinayak, who joined the protest, said residents and traders had repeatedly raised the issue with the MC. She said representations had been submitted to the former MC Commissioner and to the present chief, but the work had failed to gain momentum.

She said officials of the Building and Roads (B&R) Branch reached the site during the protest and started levelling a portion of the road with the help of earth moving machinery. Vinayak said stretches where pipeline work has been completed should immediately be filled and covered with premix so that traffic movement can return to normal.

The councillor claimed that several road gullies were yet to be reconstructed and alleged smaller pipes had been installed at some locations, instead of the originally proposed size. She raised concerns over an old overhead water tank in the locality, saying it had remained unused for years due to leakage and that residents were still awaiting a permanent solution.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ranjit Singh Dhillon, who also supported the protest, alleged officials had failed to ensure timely completion of the project. He said the delay was affecting traders, commuters, school buses, ambulances and emergency vehicles using the busy road.

He urged the authorities to fix responsibility for the delay and ensure the contractor completes the work without further delay.