No sewerage, poor roads add to woes of Nabha residents

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Nabha, February 18 

Residents of the town are facing a tough time in the absence of sewerage system as sewage overflows on roads, leading to unhygienic conditions. 

Unmetalled roads have added to their woes. 

Former Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur had brought Rs 64 crore from the Centre for the sewerage project in 2013. However, the money was sent back as it remained unutilised in the absence of funds to be given by the previous SAD-BJP government.

Later, senior SAD leader Makhan Singh Lalka had got Rs 96 crore sanctioned from the Punjab government in 2014 and the town got the first installment of the grant — Rs 3.25 crore. 

However, the work on the project was stopped after the Congress government in the state asked the municipal corporations and municipal councils to return the amount lying with these. The work was being carried out by the Water supply and Sewerage Department and it had failed to metal the road in the streets where the sewerage pipes were laid, causing problems to the residents.

Former MC president Gursewak Singh, alias Golu, said the previous SAD government had sanctioned Rs 96 crore for the project but the work was stopped after the Congress government came to power. He said the MC had nothing to do with the project as the work was to be carried out by the Water Supply and Sewerage Department. He added that sewer pipes were laid in various localities. 

MC president Rajneesh Kumar Mittal said that the SAD government had issued the grant to take political mileage in the elections. He said they had sent the proposal for Rs 97 crore for the project to the state government last month and the same would be approved soon. 

Naresh Sharma, a resident, said, “Lack of sewerage system is one of the biggest problems in the town. During rain, overflow of sewage in streets causes problems to residents. Some of the streets remain in knee-deep dirty water and the same enters the houses, endangering the lives of people. Residents of the area fall sick frequently after drinking contaminated water.”

“Without any sewerage system, colonies across the railway station are not less than a slum. A majority of the residents have dug up septic tanks in front of their houses while others who cannot afford it release sewage in nearby open areas. The roads dug up to lay sewer pipes had not been re-carpeted,” said Rajinder Singh Sidhu.