Six-laning of NH-1 troubles commuters, Nanded jatha repairs speed-breaker
Ever since the project for six-laning of NH-1 has begun, commuters have been an inconvenienced lot. In an attempt to make the national highway user-worthy, the service lanes there have been reduced to a mere kutcha road, embedded with potholes, deep ditches and accumulated rainwater. The speed-breakers, especially between Sahnewal and Jugiana, are in bad shape. Fed up with the insensitive attitude of the NHAI, the Kaar Seva Jatha of Nanded, residing in Gurudwara Reru Sahib, Sahnewal, initiated the necessary repairs on one such speed-breaker today.
Baba Major Singh, in-charge, Kaar Seva, Gurudwara Reru Sahib, Sahnewal, accused the NHAI of completely abandoning its responsibilities and leaving the commuters to their fate. “The speed-breakers are in such bad shape that thousands of vehicles crossing it have been damaged but to no avail. The authorities are as oblivious to the problem as before. As the commuters’ plea remained unheard and things aggravated, we had to initiate necessary repairs on one speed-breaker. We hope the authorities will wake up from their slumber to look into the repair work,” he said.
“Hell can be better than this. There is simply no system left. There is no one to listen and no one who can make the authorities realise the agony we have to bear on a daily basis while crossing the speed- breakers. Innumerable times, countless people have suffered not only vehicle breakage but fractures as well. Is not the NHAI responsible for the injuries suffered on account of the bad condition of service lanes,” rued Charanjit Singh, a commuter.
“These speed-breakers led to traffic jams as commuters preferred the damaged side-lanes as compared to the one which had disappeared altogether and bore no trace of a speed-breaker but for ditches and potholes. The sudden brake the vehicle drivers applied due to the damaged state of the speed-breakers resulted in many accidents,” added Rajiv Kapila, a resident of Sahnewal.
“Despite the commuters reminding the NHAI to keep service lanes along the national highway user-worthy, as usual it has failed to act. It does not care for any and every request, plea and reminder made by the residents. It is shameful on the part of the National Highways Authority of India which is in-charge of the maintenance of these roads, to make the commuters suffer to the extent that they dread the idea of crossing the speed-breakers and look out for a new road covering an extra mile every time. Are we paying lakhs of rupees in the form of toll for this miserable ride? Nothing can be so resentful, offensive and bitter as the fact that we continue to suffer and the authorities continue to keep their eyes and ears shut,” shared Rinku Sahnewal, another offended commuter.
When contacted, Vijay Kumar from the National Highway Control Room, said that the repairs shall be initiated at the earliest.
