Some of the stretches of important roads riddled with potholes or remained dug- up for months are proving fatal for the commuters. Accidents happening frequently particularly during the night hours, the National Highway broadening works going on for ages and the roadside drains overflowing are compounding their woes.
Those residing in the northern parts of the city like Govind Puri, Vivek Vihar and Krishna Nagar say that nothing is happening despite complaints being made to the department, demanding prompt repair of the potholed stretches. There comes hardly a day accident of one kind or the other is not reported.
They say they wonder who to blame for their continuing ordeal on the roads- the Municipal Corporation, the National Highways Authority of India or the district administration. “We do not know whether or not the company tasked with the national highway broadening work is paying to its employees or the civic body is not clearing dues of its contract workers engaged in cleaning drains.
We are concerned about the deplorable state of the roads which is causing our cars to develop problems,” said Vishal Sharma, a resident of Vivek Vihar.
“The potholes are not just damaging our vehicles but are also taking toll of lives. Over a dozen people were injured last month due to the bumpy roads. A photographer lost his life as the two-wheeler he was riding turned turtle while negotiating sand stones strewn on the road,” shared one Govind Puri resident, Chaman lal.
Patience with the apathetic authorities wearing thin, residents of Vivek Vihar blocked traffic near Chandracharya Chowk last weekend, demanding immediate repair of the potholed or dug- up roads.
A resident of Shivalik Nagar, Shuminder Singh says, “Though most of the roads are in bad shape the one which connects BHEl to the National Highway 58 is the worst. When one takes a turn from Bahadrabad T-point to BHEl the one km stretch ahead is perhaps the worst in Haridwar. Things are often chock-a-block at the first barrier of BHEl, a stretch that is accident prone. Hundreds of people working in BHEl and SIIDCUl located in Roshanabad commute through this road daily.”
Quizzed over the deplorable condition of the stretch, executive engineer Public Works Department D M Chaudhry said that the stretch was repaired in December last year and it is now perfect for commuting, a statement rejected by the people who dubbed it as far from reality.
Asked to comment, city Mayor Manoj Garg said that PWD is now engaged in repairing the damaged roads lying under the jurisdiction of the civic body. Things would be completed soon, he assured.