Waterlogging, sewage, poor drainage system irk residents

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 18

The rainwater has accumulated on most of the roads and streets in residential areas during the recent rains that lashed the city. The worst hit areas, including Grain Market, Old Sabzi Mandi Road, Transport Nagar, Preet Nagar, Industrial Area, Basti Bawa Khel, 120 Feet road, Old Railway Station road, Damoriya over bridge, and others.

Residents are suffering from the waterlogging. seweage and poor drainage system for several years.

Aware about the waterlogging issue in the city, recently, the Member of Parliament, Santokh Singh Chowdhary, Mayor Jagdish Raja and other officials also took rounds of the most affected areas.

The road from Sodal Mandir to Doaba Chowk becomes hard to commute for residents during the rain.

Besides the garbage dumped at the Burlton Park dumping site has spread on the roads with the accumulated rain water. The complaints regarding, broken sewer pipes, electricity poles and potholes in the roads files up in the MC complaint cell during the rains.

Mohit Rubal, a resident said: “The MC have placed banners of ‘Swachh Survekshan’ in the city. However, they cannot manage to improve the condition of the roads. Besides, garbage has spread all over the roads.”

Another resident, Nitin Arora, said: “The administration is well aware of the problem. Hence, it should take immediate and necessary steps in this regard. But, till date it seems officials are oblivious of the entire issue.”

“Though people complained about the waterlogging issue at several places, the officials at O&M Branch Engineer, said only few areas had stagnant water,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Mayor has claimed to solve the decade-old problem.

He said: “We are coming up with a project, in which the rain water accumulated at the affected areas will be poured into the drain with the help of a lifting pump.”

“A tender for the same will be floated shortly for pumping out the accumulated water. Besides, a project for laying of more than seven-km long storm drainage network in a specified area to solve the waterlogging problem at the 120-Ft Road area, Basti Adda and other 2-3 areas is already in the pipe line. To get the rid of the problem we have also included the development work in the “Smart City Project,” added the Mayor.