Rain fury: Panchkula residents seek urgent repairs

The condition of several key roads here has deteriorated to an intolerable level, with residents citing deep potholes, waterlogging and poor maintenance as reason for daily jams, accidents and damage caused to their vehicles.

Despite repeated complaints, the civic authorities have failed to provide lasting solutions. The residents say the stretch from the BEL traffic lights to the Panchkula exit towards Hallo Majra is dotted with potholes, some over one-foot-deep. The slip road to the Tau Devi Lal Stadium from the underpass is in an equally poor condition, while the last exit from Sector 21 towards Sector 20 has become unsafe for motorists. The back lane behind the showrooms in Sector 8 and 9 is badly damaged, and the road opposite Raj Hans Cinema in Sector 5 needs immediate attention of the authorities. Equally troubling are the road leading to Mansa Devi temple, the entrance to the liquor vend parking in Sector 20 market, where motorists struggle to find way through huge potholes, and the stretch leading to the Gaushala near the temple.

Civic activists have expressed concern over systemic delays. “In general, the condition of Panchkula roads is far from satisfactory, causing accidents and severe damage to vehicles. Whenever we raise the issue, the standard response from multiple agencies is that tendering is in process. But this ‘process’ seems an endless wait for residents,” said Mohit Gupta, founder of Solution Box, a group of activists.

Residents also reported that the Panchkula–Chandigarh border near Industrial Area, Phase II, has been witnessing long traffic jams for the past several days. “The main reason is deep potholes filled with rainwater and barricades placed in the middle of the road. Despite being an inter-state road, no government — Haryana or UT Chandigarh — has taken responsibility. People are being forced to suffer,” said SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula.

The residents accused the civic authorities of negligence and short-term fixes. “Either the MC does not repair the roads for years or, when it does, the patchwork last hardly three months. Don’t know whether it’s a shortage of material, or just our bad luck,” said Deep Krishan Chauhan, a Sector 20 resident. Another resident said the entrance to Block GH-33 in the Sector 20 market has turned into a virtual pond, where vehicles often scrape underneath hitting the potholes filled with rainwater.

The residents have demanded immediate intervention by the authorities concerned — HSIIDC, HSVP and Panchkula Municipal Corporation — before the situation leads to more accidents and damage to vehicles..

Systemic delays

Civic activists have expressed concern over systemic delays. “In general, the condition of Panchkula roads is far from satisfactory, causing accidents and damage to vehicles. Whenever we raise the issue, the response from multiple agencies is that tendering is in process. But this ‘process’ seems an endless wait for residents,” said Mohit Gupta, founder of Solution Box, a group of activists.

Chandigarh