Ludhiana Mayor’s ward raises a stink as locals battle overflowing sewers, broken roads

Even as the Municipal Corporation continues to project Ludhiana as a developing smart city, the ground reality in the Mayor Inderjit Kaur’s own Ward 13 tells a different story. Residents of Karamsar Colony, particularly those staying in lanes 5 to 9, have been battling damaged roads, overflowing sewage, waterlogging and contaminated drinking water for nearly a year, with little relief despite repeated complaints.

According to residents, the roads were dug up about a year ago for laying sewerage pipelines but the civic body has failed to restore them. The uneven roads are now dotted with deep potholes that remain filled with stagnant sewer water, making it difficult for pedestrians and motorists to pass through.

“The roads have become almost unusable. Every time it rains or the sewer overflows, dirty water collects on the road and remains there for days. We have complained several times but to no avail,” said Vijay Sharma, a resident of the colony.

Rani, another resident, said the foul smell from overflowing sewage had become a daily problem. “Children, elderly people and women have to walk through dirty water. The entire area stinks and mosquitoes have increased due to the stagnant water,” she said.

Another resident, Nisha, alleged that the drinking water supply often gets contaminated due to the damaged sewer lines. “We are worried about our health. Sometimes the drinking water is muddy and has a foul smell. We fear it may lead to water-borne diseases,” she said.

Meena, another resident, said the colony had been waiting for the roads to be repaired for months. “The authorities dug up the roads and left them like this. It seems nobody is concerned about the hardships of the residents,” she added.

An area resident, Satnam Singh, said daily commuting had become a challenge due to the damaged roads. “Two-wheelers frequently skid on the broken surface and elderly residents find it difficult to even step out of their homes. During the rainy season, the entire stretch turns into a pool of dirty water,” he said.

Another resident, Karnail Singh, pointed out that the area had nearly five schools, forcing hundreds of children to pass through the damaged stretch every day. “The schoolchildren have to walk along edges of the road to avoid potholes and stagnant water. Several minor accidents have already occurred as vehicles struggle to pass through the narrow usable portion of the road. The road should be repaired soon to avert any major mishap,” he said.

Residents questioned how citizens could expect better civic amenities elsewhere when the Mayor’s own ward continues to struggle with basic infrastructure. They demanded immediate re-carpeting of the roads, repair of the damaged sewer network and steps to ensure safe and clean drinking water supply before the situation worsens further.

Prabhjot Singh, sub-divisional officer, MC, said: “The water supply connections have been installed a few months ago and we are going to recarpet the road soon. Earlier, an O&M cell dug up the roads to lay their sewer pipe and now we are going to complete the process”.

Despite repeated attempts, Mayor Inderjit Kaur was not available for comments.