Ludhiana, July 18: The broken boundary wall of the bridge over Sidhwan canal on Ferozepur Road is reportedly proving to be a nightmare for commuters.
A part of the bridge, known as the Verka bridge, collapsed around two months ago but is still waiting for repair works.
Commuters who cross this bridge from Aarti Chowk towards Agar Nagar find it very risky, especially during peak hours and at night.
Businessman Vinay Aggarwal said: “It is very difficult to stand on this side of the bridge as a little carelessness on your part can cause you to slip into the swelled up Sidhwan canal, along with your vehicle. I travel through here on a daily basis but prefer to stand on the other side of the road.”
Expressing concern on the crumbling wall of the bridge, regular commuters Lokesh Kapoor and Rajesh Bhanot said: “Around a week ago, we had a narrow escape when two vehicles met with an accident on the bridge.
To save our vehicle, we shifted towards the left and suddenly saw the broken boundary wall. Fortunately, we were saved from falling into the canal. The civic body should repair such important and frequently-used points to avoid any unsavory incident.”
The bridge near the office of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (Zone-D) is in a similar condition.
Nileshwar Singh, a commuter who passes by the bridge several times in a day, said: “When you cross the bridge from Baba Isher Singh School towards the Zone-D office, you can see the broken iron railing of the bridge lying in a state of neglect.
The broken boundary wall on the same side also awaits repair works. Someone has filled the gap with big stones in place of a concrete wall. This place is dangerous for commuters. The bridge witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day and needs to be repaired at the earliest.”
MC Commissioner G S Ghumman, meanwhile, said: “No one has brought the matter to my notice. I will get it repaired at the earliest to avoid any untoward incident.”
–Agencies