Monsoon close on heels, rain shelters in Ludhiana cry for repairs
Originally built as bus stops, the facilities were re-christened as rain shelters after the local bus service was discontinued in Ludhiana
Rain shelters across the city paint a sorry picture of civic neglect even as the district administration and municipal corporation (MC) authorities have started to prepare for monsoon onset.
While the district administration has set up control rooms, the MC is conducting surveys of flood-prone areas across its limits.
Originally built as bus stops, the facilities were re-christened as rain shelters after the local bus service was discontinued. Built to provide respite during downpours, the shelters present a dismal picture, and cry for attention and repairs.
“Broken roofs and benches, along with heaps of garbage, make it impossible to wait and take shelter during rainfall,” said Santosh Kumar, who commutes through the Jalandhar Bypass every day.
According to locals, most of the rain shelters have become misused spaces or have been reduced to advertisement boards. Left with no other option, people say they are forced to take shelter under flyovers during rainfall.
Several shelters across the city are being used by homeless population as temporary living places even as many others lie abandoned, filled with filth and garbage. A few shelters have almost been dismantled, with only ruins left behind.
The situation is particularly grim near Khalsa College for Women at Ghumar Mandi, where a shelter is being used as an open urinal. “The area emits foul smell and it becomes impossible to even pass through the stretch,” complained Gurleen, a student of the college.
Many shelters have also been encroached upon by roadside vendors, who use them to station carts and store tins. The stretch near Jalandhar Bypass is one such example, where vendors have taken over the space meant for commuters.
“All these rain shelters are abandoned with no infrastructure and only huge advertisements placed on them. Rather than giving shelter during rain, these are advertisement poles,” said Karamjit Singh, a resident of Sarabha Nagar.
According to the residents, the condition is worst near Buddha Nullah, where homeless people live behind the shelter and use it to dry clothes.
“It is disappointing to see how there are no chairs at the shelter and families are using it for chores,” said a resident of a nearby locality.
Another city resident called for urgent action and said, “With monsoon approaching, authorities need to restore these shelters to their original purpose.”
