Choked sewers in streets near Darbar Sahib irk residents, devotees; demand cleanliness

Choked sewers in various streets and roads near Darbar Sahib are causing inconvenience to devotees coming from outside and residents living within walled city areas. The Amritsar Municipal Corporation has failed to address the issue being faced in streets near the Golden Temple, where thousands of devotees visit every day.

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Locals claim that the issue of sewer blockages is being witnessed on the Sultanwind Gate-Jallianwala Bagh road. Sewer water remains stagnant on roads for days with unbearable stench pervading nearby areas. With sewer water accumulated on the road, visitors are forced to wade through the dirty water. It has made life miserable for local residents. The situation worsened after the recent rainfall. Residents of the area claimed that though the issue has been brought to the notice of the municipal corporation, it remains unresolved.

“What is more disgusting is that a large number of pilgrims visit Darbar Sahib through this route and what impression it leaves on them. It also reflects badly on the municipal corporation, which has failed to fix the issue. Cleanliness campaigns launched by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, including a ward-wise cleanliness survey and awareness workshops, are a step in the right direction. However, more concrete efforts are needed to be done to address the city’s cleanliness issues,” Mohan Singh, a resident of Sultanwind Road.

“The cleanliness issue has reached alarming levels, with garbage piling up everywhere. Even most of the areas surrounding Harmandir Sahib and Jallianwala Bagh are not immune to this problem,” according to a resident.