25 p.c. streetlights non-functional
From Kulwinder Sangha
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, Aug 3 — At least one-fourth of the roads in the town are in darkness due to the failure of the Municipal Council (MC) and the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to keep the streetlights in working order. The MC and the PSEB continue with their allegations and counter-allegations.

A number of sector-dividing roads as well as B and C roads were in darkness around 9 p.m. on Monday. The main roads where the streetlights were non-functional included the one from Hotel Franco in Phase I to the Industrial area, from Phase III-V road crossing towards the police station and from Phase VII via the Madanpur roundabout towards Mohali village. Lights were on only at the road crossing or the roundabout.

Residents said the non-functioning of streetlights, apart from making driving difficult on roads with potholes, also encouraged crime. They flayed MC and PSEB officials for their failure to sit across the table and solve the problem.

Mr Amrik Singh, a municipal councillor from Phase XI, said the functioning of streetlights in his ward was erratic on B roads. During the past four months, the streetlights did not work at least three days a week. Parts of the main road from Phase VII to XI were often in darkness. He demanded that overall charge of streetlights should be with one agency.

Ms Indu Sehgal, a municipal councillor of Phase I, said the streetlight situation in her area was satisfactory. However, at times it was seen that streetlights were on during the day but remained off during the night. If these were on during the night, nobody switched them off during the day.

The MC officials said according to norms, the PSEB had to provide 2 JEs, 14 linemen and 32 assistant linemen to keep the streetlights functional. But they alleged that only four to five assistant linemen had been put on the job. On certain days, they did not turn up. On such occasions, the MC staff had to do their duty.

Mr Yash Goel, Executive Officer of the local body, said the work of maintaining streetlights was the job of the PSEB and the material for the same had to be supplied by the MC. The council was paying Rs 1,12,394 to the board for maintaining 8,540 streetlight points in the town.

He said parts of the town were in darkness because the PSEB employees were not doing the job assigned to them. He said he wanted the MC to take over the work of maintaining the streetlights and a resolution to this effect had been passed at the recent meeting.

However, PSEB officials said the MC was not providing quality switches for maintaining streetlights. Streetlight cables were old and needed replacement. They alleged that MC staff did not cooperate with them.

Mr P.S. Bains, Senior Executive Engineer, PSEB, said till July 1 the council was not utilising the services of PSEB employees. Instead, it had employed additional staff for maintaining streetlights. He said only a few complaints were lying pending in Phases I to IV. In the rest of the town, the position was satisfactory.

Villagers await causeway repair
From Our Correspondent

MANAULI (SAS Nagar), Aug 3 — The absence of a permanent causeway on the sewer nullah here has been causing resentment among the residents of more than six villages.

The causeway, which connects seven villages, was washed away a fortnight ago and there is no sign of its being repaired. A kutcha path had been laid by the villagers.

According to Mr Harjinder Singh, a villager, more than a dozen fatal mishaps have occurred in this nullah in recent years. The villagers, including those of Seaoun, Patton, Kurda, Manak Majra and Premgarh, have been demanding construction of a pucca bridge to avoid such accidents in future.

The story is repeated every year as the causeway gets washed away during monsoon. Mr Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Premgarh village, said the nearest government school was at Manauli and that had become a cause of concern for the parents as the children had to cross the flooded nullah to reach the school.

Another problem for the villagers is the difficulty in availing themselves of the medical facilities. The only government dispensary in the area is at Manauli and it is extremely difficult for the sick to reach there from other villages.

The affected villagers say that they have to stock the necessities of life as the area remains cut off for almost the entire rainy season.

The cremation ground of Manauli is situated across the nullah and the villagers have to wait for days for the water to recede to enable them to cremate the dead.

No proper disposal of waste
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Aug 3 — Irregular disposal of garbage and waste from the garbage bins placed in every sector has contributed to insanitary conditions in the township .

Walking down the streets in various sectors, one comes across these bins overflowing with waste. Besides being an eyesore, these filth laden bins also pose a potential disease threat. Already, some cases of jaundice and cholera have been reported in the district .

There are as many as 330 functional garbage bins placed at different points in all sectors. Areas have been marked for these garbage tubs to make it convenient for the residents to dispose of their household waste at one place.

The sanitation department of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has to ensure adequate and timely disposal of this waste. The garbage is collected and disposed of in Sector 24, near the Ghaggar .

HUDA has deployed three heavy commercial vehicles for the collection and disposal of the garbage, but only two are functional. On an average, a garbage bin is ready for emptying in three days of dumping. The two vehicles are not sufficient to collect the waste from 330 bins every third day.

The residents of most of the sectors complain that often the garbage tubs are not emptied even once a month.

A survey carried out by the Health Department has revealed that there are 105 permanent and temporary puddles and ditches in the township. Most of these lie near these garbage bins and in villages. Biologists have recommended one week for the disposal of waste and clearing of water puddles. Left for longer periods, these can breed insects and flies that spread diseases.

Dr H.C. Nagpal, Civil Surgeon, says that the department has written to the authorities concerned several times but no progress has been made in this regard.

The problems arising from the delayed disposal of garbage from these bins is compounds during monsoon when the waste is carried to the road by rain water.

Water problem in periphery
From Our Correspondent

SHANGARIWALA, Aug 3 — The supply of drinking water in several peripheral villages has been affected for a long time due to faulty network.

Visits to Sohana, Ratwara, Mullanpur and Paintpur reveal that residents on occasions have to wait for days together for fresh water supply. Residents of these villages said that the water pressure in the villages was very low. They said that no new water pipes had been laid for the past 15 years.

According to Mr Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Sohana, water supply in the area is received for less than five hours a day. "The problem becomes acute when water supply pumps develop snags and it takes days to repair and resume their normal functioning," he added.

Local residents complain that they have to rely on the water from other sources in the absence of an appropriate supply despite warnings from the Health Department to take precautions against water-borne disease.

Sources further said the problem could not be solved until pipes were changed. The water supply lines were laid according to the requirement at that time but now the population had increased and with it the number of water consumers as well.

Poor power supply is also a major hurdle in maintaining proper water supply. Sources said the state electricity department was approached to seek a better electricity supply to run tubewells.

The water pipe network in the Mullanpur boosting station area is also not sufficient. Sources said that the pipes laid down were of less diameter than the needed one. It reduced the water pressure, the source said.

Villagers complained of inadequate number of water connections. According to Mrs Surjit Kaur, a resident of Mullanpur village, her family had to rely on water taps provided in lanes. "It will be convenient for us if more connections are given to us at our residences," she said.

Home gardening tips

*Beware of leaf-eating caterpillar. It is chaffer beetle that leaves back leaf skeleton. Spray Savin @ 2.5 gm to a litre of water. Spray in the evening when the insect is active.

*Rogor (insecticide) is systemic; it goes into the system of the plant and does not get washed with rain water. It needs only a few dry hours after spray.

*Always apply disinfectant at the fresh cut ends of plants. A little water in Blitox powder makes a good slurry for this purpose.

*Remove unwanted growth emerging from below the graft union in plants.

*Ensure proper drainage especially after rain. Standing water could kill a 20-year-old loquat in a day. Papaya is also too sensitive.

*Standing water in pot indicates it needs repotting. Never try to mend the fault by disturbing the pothole.

*Do not plant peach, plum, pear, grapes, mulberry, etc in this season. Such deciduous plants are planted only once in year in winter when these are dormant.

*Lemon butterfly caterpillar devours a mature leaf in a few minutes and is a vociferous feeder. In young stage it looks like a bird drop on the leaf and then grows to become a green one-and-a-half inch long caterpillar.

*It is time to grow desi varieties of radish, turnip, carrot, etc. Preferably grow these on ridges.

— Satish Narula