Amritsar MC allocates funds for sewer desilting ahead of monsoon

Facing recurring problems of waterlogging, flooding and choked sewer lines during the monsoon season, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has this year made a focused provision in its budget for desilting of sewer lines across the city.

The move comes in response to issues witnessed in previous years, when several localities remained inundated due to blocked sewerage systems, leading to overflow of dirty water into streets and posing serious sanitation concerns. Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia said that a key focus ahead of the monsoon will be to ensure timely desilting of choked sewer lines to prevent waterlogging and related health hazards.

Multiple proposals related to operation and maintenance were approved during the budget meeting held on March 30. According to MC officials, tenders have been prepared and received preliminary approval from the Finance and Contracts Committee for large-scale sewer cleaning using super sucker machines.

An estimated Rs 48.50 lakh has been earmarked for the North segment, Rs 47 lakh for the East, Rs 46.50 lakh for the South and Rs 47.50 lakh for the Central segment for mechanised desilting operations. Overall, more than Rs 3.7 crore has been allocated exclusively for desilting of sewer lines across the city.

However, concerns persist over implementation. In previous years, despite allocation and release of funds, crucial works like desilting often remained incomplete due to alleged negligence on the part of civic body officials.

The biggest challenge before the MC will be to ensure that these works are executed on the ground before the onset of the monsoon.

The situation remains particularly alarming in the West segment, which continues to face the worst sewer blockage issues. Localities in Chheharta, Wadali and Khandwala have been identified as critical zones where missing pipeline links have disrupted the natural flow of wastewater. Until these gaps are addressed, smooth drainage will remain a challenge.

Additionally, several manholes in these areas have sunk below road level, causing accumulation of garbage and making cleaning operations difficult. The budget includes provisions to raise these manholes to road level to facilitate easier maintenance.

In areas such as Ward No.66 and Gumtala, the condition of sewer lines has deteriorated to the extent that conventional cleaning methods have proven ineffective. As a result, the MC has placed special emphasis on deploying super sucker machines for deep cleaning.