Ludhiana MC should plant saplings, develop parks to make city liveable

OPEN HOUSE: What needs to be done to make industrial capital of state a better place to live?

To make the city more beautiful and a better place to live, the state government and the local administration must plant more saplings along the roadsides. Concentration of industries must be outside the MC limits of Ludhiana. Polluting industries and vehicles must be banned, especially the units polluting the Buddha Nullah by letting untreated water into it. Also, traffic must be controlled by installing more CCTV cameras and challaning the violators. Throwing garbage in the open or in canals should be forbidden. Also, the canals passing through the city must be fenced and the Budha Dariya and Buddha Nullah must be cleaned. Residents must responsibly help the administration keep the city clean and green.

Farzana Khan

Solve traffic, water problems

The Ludhiana city has been brought under the Smart City project of the Central Government, but truly, nothing has changed in the city. Concrete development is visible to the residents but the much-needed solution to the problem of traffic in the city is still pending. Many flyovers have been constructed but the problem persists. The next problem is air pollution. Residents of the rest of the state might have started using masks during the pandemic, but the city residents have been using them since long due to pollution. Meanwhile, there are many areas where potable water and proper drainage system are yet to be made available. These milestones should be accomplished at the earliest to make the city a better place to live.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Develop parks, lakes

Ludhiana is known as the Manchester of India but except for a few localities, the city is not worth living. To make life better in the city, the local government should focus on carpeting roads and shifting industries to the outskirts. Also encroachments should be removed and parks should be developed in different localities. Some lakes can also be made in the surroundings of the city for recreational activities. Underways and overbridges for the smooth flow of traffic, fences to restrict the entry of stray animals on roads and allocating proper parking places in markets are some other steps that the administration can take for the city’s betterment.

Dr Mohammad Saleem Farooqui

Balanced approach needed

The district administration is spending a lot of money on infrastructure for the betterment of the city but besides this, the authorities should keep a check on unused buildings located in the posh localities. There are big malls, old cinema halls and other buildings which are lying unused. Permission must be given to demolish these so that the area can be used for productive purposes. Beautification of the whole city should be kept in mind, not just limited areas. Balanced approach should be followed in order to remove regional imbalances.

Ritu Priya

Take up basic issues first

A slew of infrastructure development projects to make the city smart were taken up recently but these do not make sense as the general public is still devoid of basic needs. City roads are in deplorable conditions as they are full of potholes. These are carpeted only once in five years, when elections are forthcoming. Garbage disposal is another problem. Traffic snarls are a major headache for city residents. The administration should resolve these basic problems first and then start major projects.

RV Singh

Complete projects in stipulated time

The official machinery must be proactive and ensure completion of development projects in a stipulated time frame. The DC should resolve various issues, like land acquisition, forest clearances etc, to ensure time-bound completion. The existing civil infrastructure should be strengthened and a ring road around Ludhiana should be constructed. The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board should start its own upgrade programmes, like construction of river over-bridges, high traffic corridors and upgrade roads. The residents should plant more trees across the city. The immigrants/refugees should be welcomed and valued in the community to make the city a better place to live.

RS SEMBHI

Development going on at a snail’s pace

A few years ago, Ludhiana was selected to be developed as a smart city but it is very disheartening that all projects meant to change its overall presentation are moving at a snail’s pace and the city, as it exists now, does not resemble anything like it was supposed to be.

Residents are yet to get pure drinking water and clean air. Garbage dumps can be seen everywhere, waterlogging is a perennial issue due to poor sewerage system and roads are full of potholes. Most of the parks are in need of maintenance and beautification.

Dr Sunil Chopra

Set up markets, entertainment zones

The city needs well-defined market places for sale of locally produced goods and a separate area for indoor games and modern eating places. A large number of visitors come to the city to purchase hosiery and other goods produced here and therefore, we need many more clean, healthy and cost effective lodging places. Likewise, a number of indoor and outdoor places must be developed for entertainment. The authorities can prepare a list of such sites existing in industrial cities of Europe and other developed countries and duplicate them in Ludhiana.

Gautam Dev

Reduce carbon footprint

To make the city a better place to live, we must grow more trees and reduce environmental impacts of pollution. Energy conservation is one of the most important things we can do to reduce carbon footprint. The technique of rain water harvesting and solar system should be followed in the city. The industrial waste should not be thrown into water bodies.

Adish Sood

Constant vigil must

Some projects on the way to completion will raise the living standards and enhance the beauty of the city. At the same time, a thorough check is needed to evaluate the worth of the work done. Regular checks must be carried out by experts and the auditing needs to be made transparent. The findings should be shown to the public, giving them sufficient time to comment. Residents have a right to know how their tax money is being spent. A committee of experts needs to made, constituting of members of various fields, to conduct the audits.

JBS Nanda

Use infra judiciously

Although the district is undergoing a makeover with major infrastructural changes, yet there are some conditions to be fulfilled to make the city a better place to live in. Proper management of the infrastructure is vital so that it does not disrupt the life of common man. If there is no proper management of newly built buildings, it will a major monetary loss and the city will suffer.

Kamaldeep Kaur

OPEN HOUSE QUESTION

With 20 students from two schools testing positive for Covid, days after reopening of educational institutions in the district, should the children below 18 years of age, who are not yet eligible for vaccination, be allowed to attend physical classes? Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]

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