Shortcomings in townships: Jandiala Guru faces plethora of civic problems
Residents of Jandiala Guru town has been grappling with many civic issues like choked sewerage, water-logging, dilapidated streets, encroachments, traffic congestions and solid waste problems. Narrow streets and roads of centuries-old town witness encroachments by shopkeepers, vendors and haphazardly parked vehicles by residents.
Even electric poles and transformers are proving to be a hurdle in the movement of traffic in some areas. The road which links GT road with Khadoor Sahib is the main road along which the local bus stand, Mohalla Clinic, Suvidha Centre, Jandiala municipal council office, schools, college and bank are located. Owing to heavy traffic and encroachments, residents witness routine traffic jams here.
Satbir Singh, a resident of Jandiala, said, “The town needs better traffic management to avoid jams. The Khadoor Sahib road should be one way or heavy traffic should be diverted to alternative roads.”
Though the municipal council has provided sewer lines in some areas, sewer water can be seen overflowing from open drains, linked to the main nullah. Residents claim that the municipal council hardly gets the nullah cleaned, leaving it choked. The sewer lines installed in the last few years are not functional yet as there is no sewerage treatment plant in the town. Around 65 per cent area of the town sans sewerage. Constructed around 20 years ago, the overhead water tank installed at the local bus stand is non-functional since its existence. Residents are getting a tube-well water supply.
Dharamvir Singh, a local Congress leader, said, “The level of nullah is higher than the open drains and water overflows on roads during the monsoon season. Moderate rain is enough to leave streets waterlogged and it takes hours for rainwater to drain out through the choked nullahs.
A street, named Charahi Wali Gali near Valmik Chowk, had been dug in February to lay sewer lines, but it has not been recarpeted till date. Targeting the AAP government, some residents on condition of anonymity display a poster on the corner of the street, which reads, “You can’t make a street better and how you will make Rangla Punjab.”
Traders and residents from near the local bus stand claimed that a garbage dump outside the Mohalla Clinic and the adjoining Suvidha Centre is suffice to throw light on the functioning of the solid waste management in the city. While inaugurating the Mohalla Clinic, the government had installed a tin sheet to hide garbage. Most of the residents claimed that Harbhajan Singh ETO, MLA from Janidala Guru, is not accessible to people coming with civic complaints.
Sanjiv Kumar, president, municipal council, Jandiala, said, “We are facing sewer, traffic, encroachment and garbage issues, and are working to address these problems. Land has been acquired to construct a sewerage treatment plant near the dumping ground. Funds have been sanctioned to install sewer lines in the remaining areas. We often seize goods of encroachers. Streets would be re-carpeted soon. When contacted Harbhajan Singh ETO, MLA from Janidala Guru and PWD and Power Minister on his official contact number, his staff responded that tenders have been floated to install STP to address sewer problems and all other issues would be sorted out. Despite repeated attempts, Harbhajan Singh was not available for comments.
