Poor roads, worse drains: Rasulpur’s civic nightmare

A short walk from the District Administration Complex (DAC) here would lead one to the civic nightmare facing Rasulpur village, which has been grappling with several issues — from broken link roads to garbage-filled drains — for quite some time.

In the absence of a functional drain network, stagnant rainwater on streets and in ‘nalis’ (small drains) is a sight too common for the village. The village used to have a large drain to flush out wastewater, but it was blocked some time ago.

In the absence of proper sewerage, the village’s sewage is discharged in open drains, and ends up in common village ponds. Streets of the village, too, overflow with sewage.

All the more worrisome is the fact that sewage is also being discharged in an old deep well (‘khuh’) in the heart of the village — a practice that has been contaminating groundwater for years.

Sukhwinder Kaur, a resident of the village, said the matter had been brought to the notice of the authorities of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB); however, no response had been received, despite years having been passed.

The state Rural Development and Panchayats Department had also been reached out to in this regard, but to no avail, she added.

About a decade ago, an RO water purification system was installed in the village to provide potable water. However, the relief provided by it to villagers proved temporary, as the system has been non-functional for more than seven years.

The link road connecting the village to Dalawalpur, Kaler and Banwalipur areas is in a pitiable condition, and the plight of the village’s internal roads is no better, much to commuters’ dismay.

Village Sarpanch Amreek Singh regarded the faulty drainage system as the root cause of several problems being faced by villagers.

He said all links roads passing through the village, and those at the outskirts, needed immediate repair.

The waste crisis of the village — from the unabated dumping of garbage on village roads to the contamination of water bodies — was not only stinking up the area, but also emerging as a health concern for villagers, many of whom had reported stomach ailments, the Sarpanch added.