Ludhiana: Despite several claims, civic authorities have failed to act against temporary encroachments in old city areas, especially the crowded Sunday markets. Civic officials responsible for clearing temporary encroachments generally steer clear of these markets, particularly Chaura Bazaar.Mostly, shops in these markets remain closed and hawkers rule the roost with slogans like, “raste ka maal saste mein.” It goes without saying that the markets are very popular. They draw crowds of eager shoppers from beyond the city too. Local residents however, prefer shopping on weekdays to avoid the weekend chaos, which includes traffic jams. Ongoing road construction work at the elevated road from Jagraon Bridge to Jalandhar Bypass and construction of the road near Damoria Bridge have greatly exacerbated the traffic situation. Moreover, temporary encroachments add to the frustration of commuters forced to take long detours. The situation in the Field Ganj market is particularly worrisome. Ambulances have often been seen stranded in traffic jams on the main road, which leads to the civil hospital and CMC hospital. The senior deputy mayor organised drives to remove encroachments from Field Ganj, Chaura Bazaar and other adjoining markets, but things have not changed. MC teams are generally not seen taking action against encroachers on weekends. Recently, mayor Inderjit Kaur claimed that strict action would be taken against encroachers but nothing has been done so far except for a few announcements.Civil Lines resident Harish Sharma said, “There is no point in visiting the markets on Sunday. If I have to go to old markets for anything, I would opt for some working day other than Sunday because it is too crowded. It is not possible to go with family members even on weekdays.” He added that even if MC officials remove encroachments, they resurface again, making the entire exercise pointless. A businessman and resident of Sarabha Nagar, Rahul Verma, said, “As the city is growing, new wholesale markets like electronic/electrical market, new Keser Ganj mandi (grocery), new Pindi Street (medicine), new Dal Bazaar (garments), new Moch Pura Bazaar (shawls, woollen and blankets), new books market, new bearing market, new tractor spare part market etc should be developed cluster-wise.” He also suggested provision of facilities like banks, food joints, parking and warehouses nearby saying that it would not only decongest the old city but also enhance business volume.On being questioned, senior deputy mayor Rakesh Prashar admitted that encroachments do resurface time and again, but he assured that drives against them would be held on a regular basis. Box: Bursting at the seams — Sunday markets attract large crowds, even from outside Ludhiana — Local residents prefer weekday shopping due to traffic jams and heavy congestion — Ongoing construction near the elevated road from Jagraon Bridge to Jalandhar Bypass and near Damoria Bridge has worsened traffic — Field Ganj market faces serious issues, with ambulances often stuck in jams on the road leading to civil and CMC hospitals — Senior deputy mayor’s encroachment drives in Chaura Bazaar, Field Ganj and nearby markets have not brought lasting relief — Mayor Inderjit Kaur recently announced strict action, but no concrete steps have followed — Residents say encroachments reappear soon after removal, making the exercise ineffective — Citizens suggest developing new cluster-wise wholesale markets to decongest the old cityMSID:: 129732700 413 |
