Sahnewal residents protest against highway authority

Residents of Sahnewal seem to have taken a strong stance against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over the deplorable condition of service lanes on the Sahnewal-Nandpur and Sahnewal-Kanech stretches.

Frustrated with the absence of repairs on the milled road, which has now become hazardous, the residents staged a dharna demanding immediate recarpeting. If action was not taken, they have threatened to intensify their stir and block the service lanes for an indefinite period.

“The service lanes are miserable and commuting through them is next to impossible. The townsters have received serious injuries by falling from their vehicles while treading upon the potholed and cratered road. On Tuesday, when a youngster fell from his vehicle and broke his arm while passing from the road, we decided to hold a dharna. It has been over two months that we have been pleading for the construction of the road but to no avail,” the protesters said.

The residents have threatened that if the NHAI fails to come to their rescue, they would be forced to block the Sahnewal service lanes permanently. “The dharna staged on Wednesday was just a symbolic one in which we had sought the participation of chosen members of the town but if our demands are not met, the whole Sahnewal along with residents of adjoining villages, including Nandpur, Pawa, Jugiana, Gobindgarh, Kanech, Bilga, Majara, etc, would sit together on a protest for an indefinite period and force the NHAI to repair the bad roads which have become a nuisance for thousands of commuters who pass through them as a matter of routine,” they said.

“The contractor has been contacted many times by the people, seeking early recarpeting but the former seems least bothered about the pleas. Governments at the Centre as well as the state level, have failed to address basic issues of the public. We have to take alternative risky routes to reach our destination due to the deep ditches and huge craters in the service lane,” they said.

However, contractor Jatinder Monty did not attend to repeated calls made by the correspondent.