A no man’s road that no one wants to fix is Panchkula’s bane

M K Kalra, a 74-year-old resident of Sector 25, is one of them. Kalra says the whole stretch is an accident waiting to happen. “The number of potholes on the road can be compared to the number of stars in the sky. It is a miracle if one can get through the stretch without any incident happening or the vehicle getting stuck. The danger is even worse during monsoons when the potholes get filled with water and it becomes impossible to spot them. I choose to first go to Chandigarh and then to that side of the railway station to pick up my kids when they come to visit me.’’

Deepak Arora, a resident of Sector 12A, says, ‘’The stray cattle and garbage that lies on the sides of the road are an even bigger threat. At night, these strays squat in the middle of the road. Imagine if any commuter were to bang into them.”

People on two-wheelers or those who rely on public transport face bigger problems.

Sunil Vashisth, a resident of Sector 15, says, “No public transport, be it an auto or bus, takes that route. It is difficult to even find cabs to take you there. The road is so bumpy that when you are riding a two-wheeler, you feel like you are going to fall off every second. It is also a big issue for pillion riders, especially children. The road is so narrow that every time I see a speeding car approaching from the opposite lane, I fear it will ram into me.’’ At the root of the problem is the fact that no authority wants to take responsibility for this road. The Panchkula Municipal Corporation says the area does not fall under its purview, as does the Chandigarh MC. The area falls in the ambit of the UT administration.

The administration has two superintending engineers (SEs) who look after the roads in their area. While SE C B Ojha said the stretch does not fall under him, Yash Pal Gupta did not answer the phone. The road is frequented by people of Chandigarh and Panchkula. When the Panchkula entry gate was under construction for more than 14 days, people had complained to the authorities time and again, but to no avail.