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Once a throbbing
industrial hub in the suburb of the city on the Amritsar-Lahore
GT Road, Chheharta has fallen on bad times due to alleged
neglect of the political and the administrative set up.
Interestingly, the present Mayor of the city, Mr Sunil Datti,
represents Chheharta constituency in the municipal
corporation. The area seems in utter state of neglect,
allege residents. Encroachments and other illegal
constructions have become the bane of the residents of the
area, who have been requesting for better living conditions
for past some time. Much to the annoyance of Sikh devotees,
the road leading to the historic Chheharta Sahib Gurdwara
remains congested due to rampant encroachment by shopkeepers
and hundreds of pheriwalas, who have extended their shops by
about five to seven feet. This is the only road connecting
various historic gurdwaras, including San Sahib, Baba Budda
Sahib and others, besides leading to the only dry port here.
There is chaotic traffic on the road that remains blocked
throughout the day. Animal and pull carts further add to the
woes of the residents of the area.
The condition of the main GT Road leading to international
Indo-Pak border at Wagah joint check post is even more
pathetic. Here road becomes narrow, even for two-wheelers.
This is due to encroachments on footpaths and half of the
road on both sides by vegetable sellers.
Thousands of tourists and VIPs travel every day to witness
the beating retreat ceremony at Wagah border. They have a
tough time while crossing this stretch every day.
Chheharta, once a prosperous industrial hub of the city, has
become an unplanned urban slum with hundreds of illegal
colonies, without proper civic amenities, mushrooming in the
vicinity. The big industrial houses, including Partap Steel
Rolling Mills, Punjab Woollen Mills, India Woollen Mills,
Niemla, Hemla and other textile units, which used to provide
employment to thousands of local residents, have been
closed. They have been converted either to residential
colonies or marriage palaces and commercial establishments
without any planning.
The area also lacks public transport system. Mr Ravi Kumar,
a shopkeeper, said that traffic jams were a daily routine in
this area, and the frayed tempers of commuters added to the
misery of the people of this area. He urged the authorities
to regularise the movement of traffic by removing the
illegal encroachments. |
