Filthy conditions turn waterworks into ‘wasteworks’ in Muktsar
It’s not just the polluted water flowing through the canals that has become a health hazard in the region.
The situation inside the waterworks complex on Kotkapura Road here paints a grimmer picture. A visit to the waterworks complex showed dirty water filled with garbage inside the reservoir, a place meant for clean water processing.
Further, trash was seen scattered in and around the complex, raising serious concerns about cleanliness and upkeep in such an important facility for the town’s water supply.
The issue goes beyond public health.
The complex also includes the official residences of the district and sessions judge, deputy commissioner, and senior superintendent of police — the top officers in the district.
Some residents and local officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration at the inaction of civic authorities.
“If this is the condition in a high security zone with VIP residences, imagine the state of affairs in other parts of the city,” said a local resident.
Activists have now called for an immediate inspection by the Punjab Pollution Control Board and the Health Department.
“This is the summer season, with water demand at its peak, but the state of the waterworks complex is a stark reminder of systemic neglect,” they said.
On this, Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish said that cleaning and renovation of the waterworks complex would begin soon.
