
A waterlogged road leading from Ghala Mala Chowk to Gopal Mandir at Basant Nagar in Amritsar on Sunday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Charanjit Singh Teja
Amritsar, September 17
Ward No. 11 comprises Gopal Nagar, Oden Street, Ghala Mala Chowk and the Gopal Mandir areas. The residents of the area have been facing several development-related issues.
Though most streets in Gopal Nagar are made of concrete and are in good condition, the main road which links Gopal Mandir with Ghala Mala Chowk is in a pathetic condition.
Commuters have to bear a bumpy ride on the main road due to potholes. During the rainy season, the area witnesses waterlogging. Potholes on the main road get filled with rainwater because of which commuters have to face a lot of inconvenience.
Sunita Kumari, a local resident, said, “It is one of the busiest stretches in the area. Ironically, there are big potholes on the road. The condition of the road is deteriorating with each passing day. It gets flooded even after a moderate spell of rain as the drainage system is inadequate. We have raised the issue with public representatives in the past but to no avail. The MC should recarpet the road so that people do not face inconvenience.” The residents of Ward No. 11 also face the problem of choked sewer lines. Water overflows from manholes and enters homes. The area councillor arranges for workers to open choked sewer lines, but the problem remains unsolved.
Mamata Dutta, former councillor from the area, said, “There is some issue with the sewer lines in several streets. The main lines were desilted with supper sucker machines a few years ago. But in the last two years, desilting has not been done by the MC. The narrow sewer lines in streets often get choked. Regular complaints are received in this regard. We arrange for workers and address the issue, but regular desilting of main and small sewer lines is required.”