Ludhiana: Frustrated by the prolonged delay in the repair of Noorwala Road, which was dug up nearly five months ago for the laying of a pipeline, shopkeepers and residents staged a two-hour protest under the National Highway flyover Monday. Area councillor Pallavi Vinayak and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Ranjit Singh Dhillon joined the protest in support of the residents.Traders alleged that the severely damaged stretch has disrupted business and daily life for months. They said rainwater enters shops due to the uneven road surface, damaging goods and causing financial losses, while dust from the broken road continues to affect merchandise and customers alike.With the festive season approaching, shopkeepers said customer footfall has dropped significantly as people avoid the stretch because of the poor road condition. Many traders claimed they are struggling to pay shop rent, household expenses and children’s school fees due to declining business.Warning of an escalation, the protesters said they would launch a large-scale agitation and block the road next week if repair work does not begin immediately. They held the municipal corporation responsible for the delay.Councillor Pallavi Vinayak said memorandums seeking reconstruction of the road had been submitted to both former municipal commissioner Neeru Katyal Gupta and incumbent commissioner Ojaswi Alankar, but the contractor had yet to start work.She also highlighted the long-pending issue of a water tank built in 1999 that has remained non-functional due to leakage. While residents sought its demolition and replacement, permission to raze the structure was not granted as it is located in a residential area. Although canal water pipeline work is under way, she said residents are yet to see any tangible benefits.SAD leader Ranjit Singh Dhillon said officials had begun removing excess soil from the stretch but repair work remained stalled. He said the damaged road was affecting not only shopkeepers but also daily commuters, school buses, ambulances and fire tenders.“Instead of penalising the contractor for missing deadlines, officials have remained silent. If construction does not start soon or is halted again, we will intensify the protest and will not hesitate to block the road,” Dhillon said.
