Rain rips apart newly built concrete road near Vallah in Amritsar

The newly constructed stretch of the bypass road near Vallah has suffered damage within a month of its completion, raising serious questions about the quality of construction work. The concrete road, which replaced the earlier bituminous surface, has started peeling off in patches following the first spell of rain. Visible damage can be seen outside the Vallah village gate, near the Nexa car service centre, and in front of Impact Garden Colony along the bypass.

Earlier, the National Highways Authority (NHAI) had replaced the tarred road, claiming that the concrete surface would be more durable and resistant to water damage. However, following the very first spell of rain, the top surface has begun peeling off and small potholes have emerged. With heavy rain predicted over the coming days, the situation is expected to deteriorate further, posing additional challenges to daily commuters.

Adding to the woes of residents is the incomplete construction of the overbridge at Vallah, which has been stalled for the past three years. Traffic continues to be diverted onto the damaged side lanes, causing routine inconvenience to commuters. The 200-metre stretch near the construction site is marred by major potholes. Though patchwork repairs with concrete have been attempted, they fail within days, worsening the road condition.

Vikrant Arora, a resident of Garden Enclave, said, “It’s strange that the road has started developing cracks just 15 days after being constructed. Now, major cracks and potholes have appeared and rain will only make things worse. The administration must fix responsibility on the officials and the contractors responsible for this poor work.”

Manpreet Singh, another commuter, from Vallah, expressed similar views. “We are forced to drive through potholes daily. The newly laid concrete looked promising, but the way it has broken within weeks shows there is no quality control in public projects. Authorities should inspect the work and ensure those responsible are held accountable,” he added.

Amritsar