The elevated freeway in Ludhiana, constructed at the price of ₹756 crore and accomplished final 12 months, is going through restore work. The contractor has begun nailing 2,500 crash limitations alongside the 6.5 km stretch from Bharat Nagar Chowk to the Octroi publish. A survey by the Nationwide Highways Authority of India (NHAI) revealed that a number of crash limitations, vital for the protection of commuters, have weakened, elevating issues over the standard of the development work.
The restore work being taken up on the elevated bridge, Ferozepur highway, in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Manish/HT)
Residents have expressed anger. Ajay Singh, a every day commuter, remarked, “It’s shocking that a bridge costing hundreds of crores is showing signs of deterioration within a year. The weakening of crash barriers not only raises questions on the construction quality but also puts lives at risk.”
One other resident, Priya Sharma, stated, “When public money is spent on such projects, we expect them to last for decades. “Accountability has to be fixed,” she stated.
Activists have additionally raised pink flags, calling for a complete investigation. Social activist Kuldeep Khaira stated, “The need for early repairs indicates either the use of substandard material or lack of supervision during construction. This cannot be ignored. We demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry to identify those responsible for this apparent misuse of public funds.”
Khaira additional stated that this was not nearly Ludhiana’s elevated freeway. “If such lapses can occur here, they can happen anywhere. A CBI inquiry is necessary to set a precedent and ensure accountability,” he added.
The work on the elevated bridge, connecting Samrala Chowk to Ludhiana’s municipal limits on the nationwide highway-95, started in October 2017 and was inaugurated in September 2022. The work on a portion of the highway was accomplished final 12 months. Its speedy deterioration has sparked criticism from a number of quarters.
Residents have additionally raised issues over the inconvenience attributable to the continuing repairs. “Traffic is already a nightmare on this stretch. Now, with repair work happening so soon, it’s making our daily commute even more difficult,” stated Rajinder Kaur, a store proprietor close to the Octroi publish.
An official of the NHAI, requesting anonymity, stated, “A survey has been conducted wherein it was found that crash barriers are weak as indicated by the past two incidents involving damage to crash barriers. The contractor has started the nailing work on the barriers.”
The NHAI and the contractor have but to situation an in depth assertion addressing the issues.