Sewage submerges Ekta Nagar street

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 15

Residents of Gali No. 3 of Ekta Nagar at Chamrang Road here have been a worried lot because of a street that has been waterlogged for over a month. They say the problem has been caused by overflowing sewage.

BJP leader Happy Khosa said, “The streets here were repaved recently but the underlying sewerage and chambers were overlooked. The old sewage lines have been choked.”

Residents said they feared an outbreak of malaria and other gastro diseases in the locality due to the stagnant water that stinks round the clock. “It has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. People cannot even walk in the street as it can cause skin diseases,” said Mela Ram, a resident of the area.

Residents said they had brought the matter into the notice of the area councillor and the officials concerned of the MC but nobody came to help. Another resident, Babli, said, “We feel embarrassed when some relative visits us. It is like having a home in the middle of a drain. MC employees visited the area today, but they were of no help.”

A visit to the street revealed that people have placed bricks in the waterlogged street to walk out of their houses. They stated that children often slipped into the sewage.

When contacted, area councillor Jatinder Sonia said, “The work to fix the same has been sanctioned by the MC and tenders have been called. I had got the sewerage laid in the area in 2002. Later, no one took up the work in the area.”

“Sewer men visit the area daily and drain out the water. I know people are facing problem. I assure them that the work will start in 15 or 20 days,” she added.