Civic amenities in dire need of overhaul in Jalandhar

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, February 15

With street lights non-functional at several places, roads in pathetic condition, poor sewerage and a miserable waste management system, the city is in dire need of improvement in civic amenities. Despite the suffering of city residents, the Municipal Corporation seems indifferent and has developed an unwavering attitude by not doing much to address the problems.

Works to be over soon

Pipeline was being laid for surface water project at the Cool road. It would take another two months to complete the work. Similar was the case at the Nakodar road where it would take another two months to complete the ongoing work.Rs — Rajnish Dogra, Superintending Engineer (B&R)

Sanitation on main roads to improve

Sanitation on main roads would improve. “Machines are arriving for processing of waste and work may start after some time. — Shri Krishan Sharma, Assistant Health Officer, MC

Issue of street lights to be resolved

The company that was given the contract needs to pay the workers for maintenance. The issue of non-functional street lights will be resolved soon as we are working on this. — Sukhwinder Singh, XEN

Ajoy Sharma, Principal Secretary, Local Bodies Department, reportedly expressed disappointment during his recent visit to Jalandhar where he held a meeting with officials. Jalandhar Tribune team visited various areas and found out that most places were in a mess, when it came to sewerage, waste, roads or streetlights.

A visit to Nakodar Road, Garha Road outside PIMS Hospital, Bhagat Singh Chowk and areas near Wadala Chowk and the bus stand revealed that work was being carried out in some areas and the roads have been dug up to lay pipelines.

An ambulance driver, standing amidst the hospital and dug-up stretch of the Garha road, said it was getting difficult to take out an ambulance in case of an emergency or shift patients to some other hospital. “Just look at the chaos here. Due to the ongoing work, traffic gets blocked and it becomes difficult for the ambulance to make its way out,” he said.

Superintending Engineer (B&R) Rajnish Dogra said every road under his jurisdiction was in a ‘good’ condition and there was no single lean patch anywhere. When asked about the Garha road, he said: “Work has been allotted and the problem will get resolved once it is completed. Sometimes, work gets delayed due to bad weather.”

Regarding the Cool road, he said: “Pipeline is being laid for surface water project. It will take another two months to complete the work,” he said, adding that similar was the case at the Nakodar road where it would take another two months to complete the ongoing work.

In terms of cleanliness, Jalandhar needs to get its act together with piles of garbage lying on the roads after every few metres.

Garbage dumps are overflowing, emanating unbearable stench. Stretches in Partap Bagh, Nakodar Road, road near KMV College and BMC Chowk have garbage mounds emitting a foul smell which makes it difficult to stand there even for a minute.

When Ajoy Sharma visited the city, he questioned officials on the issue and, according to unconfirmed reports, also told them that they could have ensured cleanliness ‘at least’ on the day he was to arrive.

Shri Krishan Sharma, Assistant Health Officer, MC, claimed that sanitation on main roads would improve. “Machines are arriving for processing of waste and work may start after some time,” he said.

MC Joint Commissioner Puneet Sharma said: “Projects for processing of waste have been sanctioned. Once they are in place, we will be directly moving the waste to the processing sites. In this way, we can eliminate the problem”.

The MC Joint Commissioner said rag-pickers would also be integrated into the system.

Non-functional street lights are another matter of concern. There seems to be a major problem as it is being said the Smart City owes an amount in crores to the contractor who will further pay the workers. The workers have not received their salaries for the last several months and they are not doing maintenance work of the streetlights.

XEN Sukhwinder Singh said: “The company that was given the contract needs to pay the workers for maintenance. The issue will be resolved soon as we are working on this.”

Complaints regarding sewerage-related issues are being received in a large number in “Aap Di Sarkar, Aap De Dwar” camps. People have been grappling with sewerage problems for long and it seems that it has become perennial now.

Anurag Mahajan, Superintending Engineer (O&M), said the capacity of sewerage treatment plants (STPs) to treat water was less as compared to the quantity generated and this was creating a problem. “A proper channel of storm sewer is needed in the city. Planning is being done to resolve the issue,” he said.