Jalandhar’s crumbling roads a headache for commuters

Jalandhar, August 27

The deteriorating condition of the city’s roads has left commuters angry. As the monsoon season continues, waterlogged streets have become a breeding ground for accidents, with the pothole-riddled roads turning everyday travel into a nightmare.

Key routes such as the old railway road, new railway road near the city’s main railway station entrance, the area around the Damoria Flyover, Cool Road and the road near Qazi Mandi, are in a dire state. The service lane stretching from Focal Point to Lamma Pind Chowk is also full of potholes, adding to the misery of commuters alike.

They have voiced anger over the poor quality of repair work, which, they claim, doesn’t last even for a month. “The patchwork is so shoddy that it barely holds up, leaving us to deal with the same dangerous conditions again and again,” said Gurvinder Singh, a shopkeeper near the railway station.

Singh recounted several incidents where vehicles got stuck in potholes, resulting in injuries. “A few days ago, a woman on a two-wheeler lost control and fell due to a pothole. It’s a hazard, especially when the roads are flooded after rain”, he added.

Priyanka Gupta, another daily commuter on the old railway road, expressed frustration with the local authorities. “We pay taxes, yet the government fails to provide us with safe roads. During the election campaigns, grand promises were made about infrastructure improvements, but where are the results? The roads are worse than ever,” she said.

Gupta also criticised the local civic body for neglecting road maintenance, calling it a “top priority that’s been completely ignored.”

The condition of Cool Road is particularly alarming, with frequent repairs doing little to improve the situation. “They’ve recarpeted Cool Road several times near main lights, but the materials used are so substandard that potholes reappear after just one hour of rain,” said Satish, another commuter.

Meanwhile, officials from the MC claimed that the ongoing repair work had been delayed due to the rainfall. They said once the weather improved, the necessary road repairs would be completed.

The affected areas

Key routes such as the old railway road, new railway road near the city’s main railway station entrance, the area around the Damoria Flyover, Cool Road and the road near Qazi Mandi, are in a dire state. The service lane stretching from Focal Point to Lamma Pind Chowk is also full of potholes, adding to the misery of commuters alike.