Ferozepur: Six months on, repair of roads damaged by floods yet to start

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, January 28

Six months after floods wreaked havoc in Ferozepur, causing extensive damage to roads and bridges, the authorities are yet to start repair works due to “unavailability of funds”.

The delay in repair works has been causing inconvenience to farmers who have to grapple with challenge of transporting their crops to markets.

Sources said the PWD Department had sent a detailed proposal along with an estimated cost of Rs 3.52 crore to higher authorities to start repair and reconstruction works. The sources said the funds were still awaited.

Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said estimates for repair works have been forwarded to higher authorities and work will be started soon. “The work on construction of a bridge at Hajara Singh Wala village has already been started,” said Dhiman.

In July and August, the floodwaters had unleashed extensive damage to roads, particularly in border villages such as Gatti Rajo Ke, Chandiwala, Tendiwala.

According to information, 46 link roads covering 28.77 km have been damaged due to the floods. The link roads were Gatti Rajo Ke village to Gatti Rahime Ke, Bhane Wala to Tendi Wala, Gatti Rajo Ke to Bhakhra, Kamal Wala to Aale Wala, Mamdot to Midda Haji, Dona Mathar to Dhani Jaswant Singh, besides roads in Guruharsahai and Mamdot.

Balbir Singh of New Gatti Rajo Ke said villagers were facing hardship due to poor condition of roads. Goma Singh of Gatti Rajo Ke said due to foggy weather, the villagers have to face a lot of problems due to poor condition of the roads and bridges.