Under-construction drains along service lanes near Sahnewal threat to commuters

Repeated reminders and pleas of commuters to speed up the process of rectification of the drains along the service lanes from Sahnewal towards Dhandhari seem to have fallen on deaf ears as neither the National Highway Authority of India, nor the contractor or for that matter the local administration has shown any concern in this regard for more than a year.

Owing to this, commuting along the service lanes from Sahnewal towards Dhandhari has become a herculean task. The unconstructed drains along the service lanes and upward pointing iron rods can prove risky for commuters as they find themselves helpless and blinded many a times by the thick blanket of fog and glaring headlights.

“It is disheartening to find the drains along the service lanes left in an incomplete state for months together. The pace at which the work is going on will require a year or so to complete, it seems. The authorities seem to be testing the driving skills of the drivers. Today, as I had to commute from Jugiana towards Sahnewal, the visibility got suddenly reduced to minus and my car was about to skid into the open drain when I luckily realised that I am going in the wrong direction,” rued Prof Satjot Singh Dhillon, who had a narrow escape when his car was about to fall into the deep drain pit left uncovered.

“It seems that the authorities have failed to learn any lessons from the accidents that took place in the past in similar circumstances. The pointed iron rods are dangerous to the extent that if one misses them, they are sure to result in some fatal injury, especially to two-wheeler commuters, cyclists and pedestrians. Special arrangements should have been made by the NHAI authorities at the very onset of winter,” complained Pawanpreet Singh Bulara.

“As it gets dark, the trenches assume the look of a grave. What a shame on the part of the authorities concerned to be so casual that even after spending crores, the commuters stare at risk and even death. Our patience has now exhausted. Toll fee in hundreds and such a haphazard and rough work. I fail to understand why we pay so much in toll? The government simply seems to have turned deaf and dumb on this issue, which has been disturbing the commuters for months together,” shared Charanjit Singh, who commutes from Ludhiana towards Sahnewal daily.

“Moreover, at places where the construction work has almost been accomplished, the side road has been left in a muddy state, due to which big trailers are caught unawares and get stuck in mud and even get tilted at times, posing grave danger to other vehicle drivers as well as pedestrians. The drain, right from the time of their construction, are either permanently blocked or razed for reconstruction time and again,” shared Harbans Singh of Sahnewal.

Assistant highway engineer Ankit said that he would visit the locations and see that the needful was done. He also said that the contractor had been asked to finish the work as per the deadline, abiding by all prescribed safety prepositions.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister and MLA of Sahnewal Hardeep Singh Mundian seemed too busy to respond to repeated calls made by this correspondent.