Traffic on National Highway-44 (Amritsar-Delhi Road) came to a standstill for nearly an hour on Wednesday after residents of Rahon Road blocked the highway at Basti Jodhewal Chowk to press for their long-pending civic demands.
The protest led to long queues of vehicles in both directions, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded in humid weather.
Office-goers, schoolchildren, transporters and other travellers remained stuck as vehicles moved at a snail’s pace. Several motorists expressed frustration, saying they were forced to wait despite having no connection with the issues being raised by the protesters.
The agitation was organised by residents of Rahon Road with the support of the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union and the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union (Chaduni).
The protesters marched from Mattewara forest before assembling at Basti Jodhewal Chowk, where they blocked the highway.
The protesters demanded immediate reconstruction of Rahon Road, improvement of the sewerage network and removal of illegal roadside vendors, alleging that repeated complaints to the authorities had failed to produce any results. They said Rahon Road had remained in poor condition for a long time despite government claims of undertaking large-scale road development across Punjab.
Residents alleged that deep potholes had made commuting hazardous, while an inadequate sewerage system resulted in waterlogging even after short spells of rain. They said rainwater filled the potholes, making them difficult for motorists to notice and increasing the chances of accidents.
With the monsoon season expected to intensify, they feared the situation would become worse in the coming weeks.
Farmer union representatives claimed they had announced the protest on July 1 to give the administration sufficient time to respond. They alleged that no concrete action was taken and that authorities deployed JCB machines only a day before the protest to give the impression that work had already begun.
The blockade was lifted only after officials from the district administration, Municipal Corporation and the Public Works Department reached the site and held discussions with the protesters.
SDM Jasleen Kaur assured them that the road project would be taken up within the next few days. She also said the Municipal Corporation would address the sewerage problem, while officials maintained that drives against illegal roadside vendors were being conducted on a regular basis. Following the assurance that the pending issues would be resolved by July 27, the protesters dispersed.
Meanwhile, commuters questioned the decision to block a national highway. Hardeep Singh, who was caught in the traffic jam, said people were justified in raising their demands but public inconvenience should also be considered. “Thousands of commuters were delayed because of the blockade. The protest could have been held outside the offices of the concerned department instead of stopping traffic on such an important highway,” he said.