Road or slush stream? Monsoon bares death traps in Nayagaon

Mohali: What was once a bustling stretch of Nada Road in Nayagaon has now morphed into a treacherous swamp, thanks to a cocktail of monsoon showers and municipal apathy. After just a few hours of rain on Saturday, the road became a slushy, mud-caked mess—so bad that a car sank into a hidden cavity where the road had caved in beneath a deceptive layer of muck.

Residents and traders are livid. The root of the chaos? A long-delayed tile-laying project that was supposed to follow sewerage work completed months ago. With the monsoon season now in full swing, locals fear the half-dug road could become a death trap for commuters, pedestrians, and shopkeepers alike.

"If this is what we get after months of waiting, we might as well go back to bullock carts," quipped Jasbir Singh, a local resident, only half-joking. "The contractor didn't even follow basic construction norms. They used more sand than cement, and didn't soak the bricks before laying them. It's a disaster waiting to happen."

The situation has hit local businesses hard. "Footfall has dropped to nearly zero," said Prem Dhingra, a shopkeeper whose store now sits beside a mini-lake of stagnant water. "People avoid this area like the plague. I've raised the issue repeatedly, but officials just pass the buck."

The road in question was dug up for underground sewage pipes connecting Nada Road to Ragat Singh Chowk and later to Bhagat Singh Chowk. While the pipe-laying was completed under the supervision of the additional deputy commissioner, the road restoration has been left in limbo.

Now, the community is mobilizing. The Senior Citizen Society and Market Welfare Association have joined forces, submitting a formal complaint to the Sewerage Board's SDO. "This isn't just about inconvenience anymore—it's a public health and safety crisis," said Satnam Singh, Chairman of the Senior Citizen Society.

If the work doesn't resume by Monday, a sit-in protest is planned at the Nagar Council office on Wednesday. "We've waited long enough. If they don't act, we will," warned Umesh Gulyani, President of the Market Welfare Association.

Other local voices—from temple leaders to retired officials—have echoed the same demand: fix the road, and fix it now.