Chandigarh, August 12
Poor drainage system at the subway connecting Sectors 11 and 15 has made it an accident-prone area.
In fact, the tall claims of the UT administration regarding the drainage system have been exposed at the subway. Water logging at the underpass makes every two-wheeler rider turn the vehicle back in violation of the traffic rules.
The subway, meant for public convenience, becomes a cause of traffic violations in the rainy season every year. Reaching the water-logged area, two-wheeler riders take a U-turn which results in traffic chaos on this subway road. Nothing has been done so far to solve the poor-drainage problem, with the authorities concerned turning a blind eye towards the problem.
On the issue of traffic rules violations, Rahul Baghla, a motorcyclist, said, “I do not violate traffic rules but it seems risky to cross the subway in this condition”.
During a visit to the subway, it was found that the area had become like a pond. Water congestion had become a serious problem as two-wheeler riders turn back, causing inconvenience to the vehicles coming from the right direction. Employees of the petrol pump, near the subway, say that water logging in the area has done a great deal of damage also to the underlying road. Regular leakage from the water pipes passing through the bridge also becomes a problem for the users of the subway. A big pothole has been created on the low-lying road due to this leakage.“It is really a careless attitude on the part of the authorities as no corrective step has been taken till now”, said Varun Juneja, a Panjab University student.
Accepting the issue of drainage problem, UT chief engineer V K Bhardwaj said, “We will definitely do something to remove the problem but it will be done only when other subways are designed.”