Broken roads, littered stinking streets present dark side of City Beautiful

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20

Mauli Jagran, the epicentre of the diarrhoea outbreak, presents a dark side of the City Beautiful. Broken roads, stinking streets and littered garbage shows how basic amenities elude the area.

Local residents are thankful to the media for highlighting the diarrhoea outbreak issue.

“Municipal Corporation employees visited us after a long time. They cleaned the garbage and cleared the blocked sewerage line,” said a group of women sitting outside a house in lane No. 2100.

Walking through lane No. 1,700 was a challenge. Nearly 80 cases of diarrhoea were reported from this lane alone. The stink emitting from the area could make anyone unwell.

Rani, who had just returned from the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 16, on Wednesday, said she suffered from acute diarrhoea soon after drinking water.

“I rushed to the dispensary with complaints of vomiting and an upset tummy. From the dispensary, I was rushed to the GMCH 16. I was discharged on Wednesday. On returning home, I learnt that many local residents were rushed to the hospital with similar complaints,” said Rani.

The scene was no different at Mauli Jagran dispensary. Patients with complaints of nausea were queuing outside the doctor’s room.

As per Dr Usha, the medical officer, nearly 15 patients with mild diarrhoea had arrived so far for treatment.

While MC has maintained that all water samples were found fit for drinking, the area resident slammed the claim.

“It is a mere eyewash. Visit my house. The water stinks badly. All area residents were down after consuming the dirty water. Caught on the back foot, the MC authorities are trying to pass the buck,” said Akash, who was visiting the dispensary for treatment.

On the other hand, a civic body employee said people of the area should also be blamed for the problem as they were not maintaining personal hygiene.

“Many residents have tampered with the government water pipeline and installed suction motors and hand pump. It is resulting in mixing of sewerage water with potable water,” said a civil department employee.

Mauli Jagran in figures

• Total population: 53,674
• Total houses: 7,111