Encroachments choke roads in princely town

Punjab, with a population of 38% in cities, is on the road to urbanisation. Census 2011 figures indicate that large number of people have migrated to cities. With civic poll round the corner, The Tribune reporters visit various towns to study the impact of urbanisation

One of the many bustling markets in Nabha. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 8

Nabha is one of the best cities in Patiala district as far as the condition of roads is concerned. It is even better than most areas of the royal city. Almost the entire population has access to drinking water. Sewerage has been laid in all areas within the municipal limits.

Civic amenities

But the princely town is beset with certain problems. Encroachments in the main markets is an area of concern. Another problem is waterlogging. The problem turns chronic during the monsoon. Poor drainage system continues to irk city residents. Parts of the city areas remain submerged in water during the rainy season causing inconvenience to the residents.

Another problem is that of sanitation. Heaps of garbage can be seen in different parts of the city. The council has failed to find a solution to dispose of garbage outside its limits.

Amarjit Singh from Dulladi Gate said though the condition of roads was satisfactory, they faced a lot of inconvenience during the monsoon. “The drainage system is poor due to which water accumulates at many places that makes life difficult for commuters,” he said.

Navdeep Singh of Ekta Colony said: “Most streets remain in the dark due to non-functional streetlights. It poses risk to residents. Another problem bugging the city is that of garbage dumps in residential areas. The administration is least bothered to get these cleared.”

The city has a population of about 66,215. The number of registered voters is around 47,000. The process of revising electoral rolls is underway.

Annual budget

Property tax, sale of property, regularisation of houses and VAT are the main sources of income for the council.

The municipal council has an annual budget of Rs 20 crore. Of this, Rs 10.5 crore is utilised to pay salary to employees. A sum of Rs 8.78 crore is spent on development works, including maintenance of roads, water supply and sewerage. Another Rs 45 lakh has been earmarked for contingency expenses.

Infrastructure

Despite having a population of over 66,000, the city does not have a proper bus stand. The existing bus stand is not properly maintained with garbage and filth littered all around. There is no seating arrangement for passengers.

Nabha has more number of government and private schools as compared to the other councils in the district. There are 17 government schools and 48 private and aided schools having around 20,000 students. Certain schools are among the best in the district. Health services too are up to the mark. Nabha is located at a distance of 22 km from Patiala. In case of any emergency, patients are brought to Government Rajindra Hospital.

Political graph

The political scenario in Nabha is confusing with factionalism affecting both the SAD and the Congress. Akali leader Makhan Lalka and Maninder Singh Mani are at loggerheads. The Congress too is divided into two groups owing allegiance to local MLA Sadhu Dharmsot and Kaka Randeep Singh. The ruling SAD-BJP had formed the house during the 2008 council elections. This time, it could be anybody’s game.