Sewage treatment plant to begin operation after 50-month delay

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, Feb 12

Nearly 50 months after the foundation stone was laid for Ludhiana’s Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) during the Congress regime in December 2020, the plant’s commissioning remains elusive.

Residents in low-lying areas had hoped the facility would address the longstanding issue of overflowing sewage, as work on setting up the equipment, valued at Rs 8 crore, gained momentum following Vikas Krishan Sharma’s appointment as Municipal Council President six months ago.

The ongoing challenge of clearing choked sewers and managing flooding has plagued the civic body since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government took power in the state over 35 months ago. Delays in electing a regular AAP-backed president for the Municipal Council have further worsened the situation.

As a result, residents in areas such as Green Avenue, Railway Road, Amarpura Mohalla, Dhulkot Road, Jawahar Nagar, Chand Cinema Road, Guru Nanak Pura, Gaushala Road, and Ring Road have endured unhygienic conditions, with sewage regularly flooding their neighbourhoods.

Historically, overflow issues were managed on a case-by-case basis by workers from the sanitary department, but the crisis has escalated, requiring special teams to clear blockages from pipelines and manholes.

Despite assurances from former Congress MP Surjit Singh Dhiman and MP Dr Amar Singh Boparai that the STP would be completed within one year of the foundation stone’s laying, the facility is yet to be officially inaugurated.

Sukhpreet Singh Sidhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner (D), stated that the Municipal Council had been instructed to coordinate with the Sewerage Department to expedite the STP’s completion.