Sultanwind Canal cries for attention

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 9

Call it lack of vision or integrity. On one hand, the government brags about awarding Amritsar the smart city tag and on the other it pays scant regard towards cleanliness. Ironically, the canal at Sultanwind is inundated with garbage and filth.

The pathetic condition of the Upper Bari Doab Canal exposes the tall claims of the Centre government when it comes to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and solid waste management project of the civic body.

The Minister for Local Bodies, Anil Joshi, and officials of the Municipal Corporation have been praising themselves for introducing door-to-door garbage collection under the solid waste management company.

The Upper Bari Doab Canal is enough to bring out the ground realty of these projects. Due to absence of awareness and penalty residents dispose of garbage in the canal. Safai Karmacharis, too, follow the same practice. They dump garbage loaded on vehicles on pathway along canal.

Water from the Upper Bari Doab canal on the city outskirts is mainly used for irrigation in the region. However, during the British period, sarovar at Golden Temple was connected to the canal to ensure year-round water supply. A special tunnel (hansali) was designed to supply water to Golden Temple complex. Now, the sarovar is filled with tube wells.

It is a long time demand of residents to beautify the pathways of canal and maintain cleanliness, but no one has shown concern.

“The canal is perfect place, which can be developed as a picnic spot. The Municipal Corporation (MC) should carpet its pathways and lay a cycle track so that residents can use it for morning and evening walk. Now, garbage stinks and people avoid walking along canal,” said Naveen Sharma , a resident of Sultanwind Road.