Civic negligence irks residents of New Dashmesh Nagar in Ward 24

Residents of New Dashmesh Nagar in Ward Number 24 are grappling with civic issues, such as choked sewers and broken manhole lids. Besides, neglected rainwater chambers continue to pose a threat to public health and safety. Despite multiple complaints lodged with the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC), no concrete action has been taken, leaving local residents upset. Moreover, the monsoon season is drawing near.

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The locality has been facing repeated sewer blockages due to the accumulation of silt and garbage. According to local residents, manholes and rain chambers, covers of many of which are missing or broken, are a major safety hazard, particularly for children and elderly residents.

“The condition is worsening day by day. I personally filed complaints with MC staff, but they keep passing the buck. No one is ready to take responsibility,” said Pawan Kumar, a local resident, who has been raising the issue for several weeks now.

Gurpreet Singh, another resident, expressed concern over the open and broken manholes in the area. “These damaged manholes are death traps. Anyone can fall into them, especially during waterlogging in the rainy season. It’s shocking how the authorities are turning a blind eye to such a serious issue,” he said.

Residents claim that some inner streets of the locality remain waterlogged for days even after mild rainfall, turning the area into a breeding-ground for mosquitoes. This not only leads to inconvenience to people but also raises the risk of the outbreak of vector-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria.

With the monsoon season around the corner, residents fear the situation will deteriorate further if immediate steps are not taken. “Last year, many streets were completely submerged and dirty sewer water had accumulated in streets for weeks. We cannot go through that again,” said Narinder Kumar, another local resident. The residents are demanding urgent de-silting of sewer lines, repair and replacement of manhole covers, and regular maintenance of drainage infrastructure to prevent future waterlogging.