Ward Watch: Waterlogging, haphazard parking, garbage heaps bane of residents

Charanjit Singh Teja

Amritsar, October 20

Ward number 59 comprises Hathi Gate Chowk, Sikandari Gate, Gagan Mall Road, Chowk Farid, Telephone Exchange Chowk, Partap Bazar, Karmo Deodhi, Guru Ke Mehal, Kesar Dhaba, Chowk Passian and Bombay Wala Khoo areas. All these areas fall in the walled city. Sanitation is one of the major issues plaguing these localities.

The lifting of garbage is irregular in congested areas causing undue inconvenience to residents. Earlier, there were donkey batches, who used to collect garbage from the narrow streets. However, the donkey pullers are still working in several streets in interior parts of the city, but the onus of collecting garbage from the city areas is on the MC. A few years ago, the MC outsourced the solid waste management company for the walled city areas and a marked improvement was seen in sanitary conditions. But for the last few months, a number of vehicles of the company have been lying defunct leading to irregular garbage lifting.

“Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Katra Sher Singh, said, “Heaps of garbage can be seen at every corner. On weekends, narrow streets witness bigger mounds of garbage. Stray dogs scatter garbage in streets giving an ugly look to roads and streets. The MC should make alternative arrangements against the defunct vehicles.”

Residents of areas are facing inconvenience due to encroachments and haphazard parking of vehicles on the main streets. Some of the areas witness waterlogging during the rainy season. There are some parks in the ward, which have been encroached by vendors and turned into parking lots.

The ward area is now reserved for a woman candidate. The residents demanded resolution of the poor sanitation issue in the area.

“Most of the areas were developed around 200 years ago. Traffic jams, choked sewers and waterlogging have become something that they have learnt to live with them, but sanitary conditions can be improved. We hope that the new MC House will address these issues,” said Anand Kumar, a resident.