Sanjay Nagar residents face sewage overflow woes

Prince Ashok

Bathinda, September 20

Residents of Sanjay Nagar and Bangi Nagar across railway lines are angry with the MCB for not providing a permanent solution to the problem of overflowing sewer lines here. It is common to see sewage stagnating at Sanjay Nagar and Bangi Nagar because of poor construction of sewage chambers and frequent blockage in the pipelines.

People face more difficulties during the monsoon as sewage mixed with rainwater overflows from almost all drainage channels and fills pits as the street is covered with layers of sandy subsoil. Residents of the area claimed that they had been lodging complaints with the MC to control the sewage overflow but in vain.

Isaram, a resident of Sanjay Nagar, said, “The area is faced with the problem of sewage overflow, increasing chances of outbreak of diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya. I have written to the authorities concerned on several occasions, but each time, my pleas fell on deaf ears.”

Vikas Kumar, another resident, said, “In many parts of Sanjay Nagar and Bangi Nagar, the sewage has been stagnant for the past many years. The stagnant sewage serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and most of us keep our windows and doors closed.”

Jago Kaur, Pinki, Rekha, Situ and other residents said, “We have been suffering from the problem for the last couple of years but the authorities don’t seem to care. They said a foul smell was such a big problem and it became very difficult to breathe.” Residents said they wanted a long-term solution to this problem.

It is significant to mention that for the past many years, the sewerage system in the city was supervised by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, but for the last two years it has been maintained by a private company (Triveni). Since the day the company has taken maintenance of sewerage in its hands, the problem has only aggravated in the city.

Ashwini Kumar, XEN, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, said, “The department is not aware of the problem being faced by Sanjay Nagar and Bangi Nagar and he assured that it would be solved at the earliest.”