MCB gears up to tackle waterlogging

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 25

After being caught unprepared during the first rain of the season that lasted for one hour on Sunday night, officials of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) have finally decided to do something in this regard.

MCB officials have convened an all party meeting over the issue of rainwater disposal and waterlogging tomorrow at the MCB office.

The action plan to tackle waterlogging during rains would be discussed.

The major issue which would be taken up is how to pump out water from the civil station area where all senior officers of the district have their residences.

This area is prone to waterlogging even after a short spell of rain.

Another issue which is to be discussed in the meeting is the work of Triveni Company, which is given the operation and maintenance contract of sewerage and water supply in the city but the company is not working as per expectations due to which residents are facing problems.

Talks regarding taking back the assignment from the company may also come up during the meeting.

One reason for waterlogging is that city ponds have been encroached, due to which their capacity to carry water has decreased.

The city has three ponds — DAV College pond, Sanguana Basti pond and Sanjay Nagar pond — that are used during rain to pump the rainwater in them.

The condition is such that SAD councillor Santosh Mahant had once raised the issue that some persons had even paid the property tax of Sanguana Basti pond but so far the MCB has failed to table the report over tracing the person.

Congress councillors Jagroop Singh Gill, Jugraj Singh, senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal, deputy mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat, SAD leaders Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and other councillors have been invited for the meeting.