Locals rue choked Sirki Banda Bazaar sewerage

Residents and shopkeepers of Sirki Banda Bazaar near Hindu College in the walled city are furious over persistent choking of the sewerage, which has led to filthy, foul-smelling water to flood the streets for days.

They say the bazaar has been reduced to a “stinking cesspool”, laying bare what they call the municipal corporation’s “total collapse of responsibility”. Despite lodging complaints, locals allege that the MC has shown “zero interest” in fixing the problem.

Irregular garbage lifting has worsened the already unhygienic conditions, leaving the busy bazaar on the brink of a public health hazard.

Shockingly, the nearly 500-year-old Ganga Ram Shivala Temple stands in the middle of the mess, yet the civic authorities have failed to maintain even basic cleanliness around the heritage site.

Mukesh Kumar, a shopkeeper, said the situation had become unbearable. “Choking of sewer lines has become our daily nightmare,” he said. “We call the MC every second day, but they don’t even bother to send staff on time. It feels like we’ve been abandoned. It is also heartbreaking to see sewage water near a centuries-old temple,” he said. If the authorities can’t even respect heritage and religious sites, what can you expect from them, he pointed out.

Another shopkeeper, Shiv, said the overflowing sewage was damaging the street. “If this continues, half of the bazaar will crumble before the authorities wake up.” Raman, another resident, said the foul smell had made it impossible to live or work in the area. “You cannot even stand here for five minutes without feeling nauseous,” he said.

Jatinder Singh Bhatia, Mayor, said that the matter was not in his knowledge, but added that the problem would be sorted out soon.