Road cave-in: 11 days on, work still incomplete near near Ludhiana's Mint Gumri Chowk, commuters face trouble

Eleven days after a road caved in near Mint Gumri Chowk in Model Town, the repair work remains incomplete, leaving thousands of commuters to face chaos and safety threat daily. The cave-in, which occurred on August 2, has disrupted traffic in one of the city’s busiest corridors, surrounded by schools, colleges, hospitals and residential colonies.

While the Municipal Corporation (MC) claims that the repair work has been completed, the road has been left to dry before it can be reopened to the public.

“If the road is thrown open prematurely, it may sink again,” said MC Chief Engineer Ravinder Garg, adding that “It will take another week to dry fully. We will ensure barricading remains in place.”

However, residents say barricades and ropes put up by the MC are being removed by frustrated commuters, who are now crossing the damaged stretch on foot and even on two-wheelers, putting themselves at serious risk.

“Is the MC waiting for a mishap to occur? Why it has closed its eyes?” asked social activist Arvind Sharma. “It is not inconvenience, it’s negligence,” he says.

Local shopkeeper Rajesh Batra, whose business has seen a sharp drop due to the road repair work, said: “Customers avoid the stretch altogether. Even delivery vehicles refuse to come. The delay is hurting livelihoods.”

Parents of school-going children are also anxious. “My daughter’s school bus now takes a longer route, adding 30 more minutes to the commute,” said Neha Kapoor, a resident of Model Town Extension.

“It’s exhausting for children and frustrating for us,” she said.

Auto-rickshaw driver Baldev Singh, who commutes through the route daily, said: “We’re forced to take narrow lanes that aren’t meant for heavy traffic. It’s causing jams and accidents. Why can’t the MC speed things up?”

The stretch near Mint Gumri Chowk connects several key institutions, including government health centres, two colleges, various schools and hospitals. With the road still closed and no alternative traffic plan in place, the area remains gridlocked during peak hours.

Residents are demanding swift action — not only to reopen the road but also to ensure safety and accountability.

“We understand technical constraints, but what we don’t understand is the silence and delay. The city deserves better,” said Arvind Sharma.