EDITOR’S POINT OF VIEW: Why roads cave-in in Ludhiana city?

Ludhiana: Again, a portion of the road from the under-construction railway over-bridge (erstwhile Lakkar Pul) side towards the Old District Courts Chowk caved-in yesterday. As a result, an overloaded truck plunged inside, with one side of the vehicle hanging up in the air. No human loss has been reported in the yesterday’s incident.

This is not an exceptional case in Ludhiana city. Many similar incidents have happened in the past too.

Ludhianvis are worried a lot to learn about these incidents one after another. Everybody wants that such incidents may not occur again and again because these incidents pose threat to human lives.

The important question is as to what should be done in this regard? or what has been done in this regard so far?

It will be in the larger interest of the city residents if a magisterial inquiry is held into all such incidents occurred in the past. All the aspects should be thoroughly checked and responsibilities of the concerned be fixed. Concrete reasons should be traced out, so that recurrence of such incidents should be stopped in the future.

If such incidents are taken casually by the authorities and the local administration then the possibility of a major tragic incident cannot be ruled out in the future.

It is a hard fact that big malls and high-rise buildings have been opened in the past. Still, high-rise buildings are under-construction. These malls and high-rise buildings have even constructed big basements after removing earth.

There is a need to seriously find out whether or not all these high-rise buildings have fulfilled all the norms fixed to construct such buildings.

Besides, there is a need to inquire whether or not all specifications are fulfilled at the time of construction of roads in the city.