Govt offices no exception to municipal woes

Tribune News Service

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, September 25

A blocked sewer outside the Chief Agriculture and Soil and Water Conservation office on Ladowali Road has escalated into a major crisis, causing distress not only to government officials but also to farmers and other visitors who frequent the area daily.

No action despite several plaints

Dr Jaswant Rai, Chief Agriculture Officer, disclosed that his department had submitted a number of complaints to the MC Commissioner and he had personally discussed the matter with Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh, but to no avail.

Despite persistent complaints and appeals to local MLA Raman Arora and Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh, the issue remains unaddressed.

Dr Jaswant Rai, Chief Agriculture Officer, expressed his frustration, highlighting the fact that the entire lane and the entrance to his office are now submerged in filthy sewer water.

Health hazard

Lupinder Kumar, Water and Soil Conservation Officer, emphasised that apart from causing the inconvenience of commuting and foul smell, accumulated dirty water has become a breeding ground for insects, posing a serious health hazard to those living nearby.

“Unfortunate situation has led to accidents among farmers visiting the office and has made their lives miserable due to the foul smell emanating from it,” he said, adding that the problem was not new. It had plagued the area for nearly three years.

Dr Rai said in the past, he had to dip into his own pockets to resolve the problem. Due to the recurrence of the issue with the choked sewer lines and municipal negligence, the problem resurfaced.

He disclosed that his department had submitted a number of complaints to the MC Commissioner and he had personally discussed the matter with Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh, but to no avail.

Lupinder Kumar, Water and Soil Conservation Officer, said the issue wasn’t limited to visitors to the office. It affects school students and anyone crossing the lane. He said despite several complaints from his office too, it seems that their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

“Government offices in the area, including Soil and Water Conservation Department, Agriculture Development Office (ADO), District Training Office (DTO), District Agriculture Implements Office, Chief Agriculture Office, and several others, serve approximately 500 people daily. Unfortunately, the Municipal Corporation has taken no initiative to address this critical problem,” he said.

Kumar emphasised that apart from causing the inconvenience of commuting and foul smell, accumulated dirty water has become a breeding ground for insects, posing a serious health hazard to those living nearby.

Meanwhile, despite repeated attempts, MC Commissioner Rishi Pal could not be contacted.

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