Unplanned growth, toxic drain mar Amritsar’s historic village

Like many ancient Punjabi villages, Gumtala was founded atop a mound, locally called a theh. Centuries ago, a temple with a distinctive gummat (dome) gave the place its early identity as Gumat-wala, which over time evolved into the present-day Gumtala. Once renowned for its fertile fields and tranquil surroundings, the area today stands as a stark symbol of unregulated urban expansion and environmental degradation on the western outskirts of Amritsar.

Once an agrarian settlement where most residents depended on farming, Gumtala is now witnessing a rapid transformation into a semi-urban suburb. As Amritsar city expands, farmlands have given way to housing complexes and commercial establishments. The younger generation has migrated abroad in large numbers, and old village homes now accommodate migrant workers and tenants, altering the social fabric of the community. A large section of Gumtala’s original residents are now settled in the United States and other European countries. Poor internal roads and inadequate civic infrastructure make commuting within the village a bumpy ordeal.

The most alarming transformation concerns the village’s natural water system. What was once a clean tributary where residents fished and bathed has turned into a toxic watercourse — the Tung Dhab drain. Dug in 1955 to prevent flooding, the drain originates in Gurdaspur, cuts through the heart of Amritsar city,and eventually merges with Lahore’s Hudiara drain before joining the Ravi river. Over the decades, it has become a conduit for industrial effluents, chemical waste and untreated sewage. Environmental activists have repeatedly raised concerns.

NGOs such as the Amritsar Vikas Manch and Voice of Amritsar have criticised the district administration for failing to curb the continuous discharge of pollutants. Reports suggest that over 40 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage continues to flow into the drain at multiple points. The contamination has raised the concentration of heavy metals in groundwater to dangerous levels, posing serious health hazards to residents. Studies indicate that sulphur dioxide emissions from the polluted drain combine with atmospheric moisture to form sulphuric acid, corroding copper surfaces and damaging air conditioners, refrigerators and electronic circuits within months. The air quality in the area has also deteriorated sharply, making life increasingly difficult.

The Airport Road passing through Gumtala — a key approach route to Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport — presents another picture of neglect. Piles of garbage along footpaths, non-functional streetlights and overgrown weeds on the central verge paint a grim portrait of civic apathy. Frequent traffic jams and rampant wrong-side driving add to the chaos, making the stretch perilous for daily commuters. Gumtala today epitomises the contradictions of unplanned development — urbanisation without infrastructure, population growth without planning, and progress without preservation.