Residents of 20 Karnal wards highlight key urban challenges in survey

A survey conducted by the district administration revealed serious issues being faced by residents of the city. The locals highlighted waterlogging, presence of stray animals, poor road conditions and sanitation crisis as some of the key concerns across different wards.

A total of 34,186 people from all 20 wards of the city participated in the survey, where they were asked to fill out a proforma identifying the issues they were experiencing. The highest number of complaints — 23.5 percent each — were about the Municipal Corporation and the Public Health and Engineering Works Department. These were followed by 18.8 per cent related to the Health Department, 15.5 per cent concerning Police and Traffic departments, 14 per cent related to water supply and sewerage, 4.7 per cent about the Power Corporation and only 0.1 per cent about the Fire DepartmentAfter reviewing the data, Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh, the brain behind the survey, instructed the departments concerned to take prompt action and resolve the issues. He also directed them to submit an action-taken report.

“The purpose was to gather first-hand information about the issues being faced by the residents. In this survey, our door-to-door collection teams visited households and handed over a proforma, asking them to list the issues they and their vicinity were facing. These proformas were collected after a couple of days by the same teams. The data was then compiled by a separate team. The issues raised by residents have now been forwarded to the departments concerned, which have been instructed to resolve them at the earliest,” said DC Singh.

In Ward 1, the residents highlighted issues related to sanitation, hygiene, waste management, drainage and sewerage, street cleaning, stray animals and street safety. People of Ward 2 raised issues related to garbage management, broken roads, drainage, poor road infrastructure, water supply and others. The residents of Ward 3 highlighted issues related to infrastructure, traffic, transportation, safety on roads from stray animals, law and order, drainage and sanitation. Similarly, people of Ward 4 raised the issue of broken roads, drainage, streetlights, water supply, overflowing bins and others.

Residents of Ward 5 also raised issues related to poor condition of roads, public safety, waste management, traffic management and others.

Deteriorating road infrastructure and frequent drainage blockages, significantly affecting mobility and hygiene are among the key issues in Ward 6. While in Ward 9, residents raised concerns regarding the condition of roads and how drainage systems were not being properly maintained. Ongoing waterlogging and poor drainage were creating safety and health hazards for residents.

Residents of Ward 12 raised issues related to poor drainage, stray animals and water contamination, while people from Ward 14 expressed concerns about damaged roads, inadequate drainage, waste management, and stray animals, including cattle, dogs and monkeys. In Ward 15, residents pointed out problems related to road infrastructure, drainage blockages, garbage accumulation, lack of streetlights, drinking water, and stray animals.

Residents of Ward 18 also took part in the survey, listing issues related to garbage, power supply, damaged roads, poor drainage, waterlogging, and irregular water supply.