No relief from overflowing sewers

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 24

Residents and commuters are a harried lot as Rahon Road remains flooded all time due to overflowing sewers.

Despite repeated complaints by residents and shopkeepers, no concrete measures have been taken to provide permanent relief from the overflowing sewers.

Now, the situation is such that pedestrians are forced to walk in the accumulated stinking water every day. The civic body got the sewers cleaned with super suction machines, but there was no relief.

Jeevanjot Singh, a resident of Rahon Road, said: “It is one of the major city roads, but no relief has been provided from the accumulating water on the road. The pedestrians and commuters on two-wheeler suffer. As it is a busy road, the dirty water splashes into shops, when cars or heavy vehicles move at high speed. Residents had earlier staged many protests, but to no avail.”

The sewers are overflowing in residential areas on Rahon Road too. “We have brought the matter to the notice of the area councillor, MLA and MC authorities, but to no avail. Our business has badly suffered as customers avoid visiting here due to flooded roads with stinking water. It is hard to breathe as foul smell always emanates from the accumulated water. We are planning to sell our property,” said a shopkeeper.

The councillors of several wards located on Rahon Road have been complaining about the overflowing sewers too. Ludhiana East MLA Sanjay Talwar said he had raised the issue before the MC authorities several times.

Rajinder Singh, Executive Engineer, said they have deployed super-suction machines to get the water cleared from roads. “The MC is going to set up a disposal plant to fully resolve the problem at the earliest,” he said.

“The MC has made its Jamalpur sewage treatment plant functional after the water in Buddha Nullah receded. Similarly, the Bhattian STP was also made functional after the water level in Sutlej went down,” Rajinder said.