Commuters at risk as workers dig up road to locate manholes

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 28

The people commuting on road from Rattan Singh Chowk to Kutcheri Chowk are inconvenienced as due to the ongoing sewerage cleaning work manholes on the stretch have been left unattended.

Several manhole covers were removed recently for cleaning of sewage pipes. It created pot holes around manholes on the entire road. No signs have been displayed to warn commuters about points where they could face danger while driving, especially two-wheelers.

At the time of re-pavement of road recently, the executing agency did not bother to correct the level of manhole covers with that of the surface. Workers left behind huge potholes as they had to dig up the road while looking for manholes.

At least 20 such vulnerable points, where these pits have been dug, can be spotted on the stretch between Rattan Singh to Kutcheri Chowks.

A resident Amanpreet Singh said, “The administration should ensure that all these points are barricaded till the road is repaired so that commuters do not meet with accidents.” He said these could result in fatal mishaps during night as no warning signs had been put up for the people.

Residents also complained that the silt removed from the sewerage was piled up on the road, which defeated the purpose of cleaning pipes.

“If it rains, the silt will enter the sewerage again. Cleaning of pipes will serve no purpose,” said Anjana Gupta another resident. She added that the silt should be transported to the dumping site.