Jalandhar residents getting impure water supply

Avneet Kaur/Aakanksha

Jalandhar, July 17

The recent byelection in Jalandhar West may be over, but the issues plaguing the constituency remain unresolved.

Promises made by candidates, regardless of the election outcome, to serve the residents appear to have been forgotten as residents continue to face severe water contamination problems. These issues have led to a rise in health hazards such as diarrhoea, stomach aches, vomiting and fever.

The affected areas, including Kabir Vihar, New Gautam Nagar, Mata Sant Kaur Nagar and the surrounding localities, have seen a significant increase in cases of diarrhoea and stomach ache over the past five days. Approximately 25 cases have been reported and residents are demanding a permanent solution to the sewerage problems that cause dirty water to mix with their drinking supply.

The residents claimed that while a team from the Civil Hospital frequently visited the area to distribute chlorine tablets and ORS packets, they were seeking a lasting solution to ensure the clean water supply. “What we want is a solution to the problem and clean water supply,” they said.

Health officials, meanwhile, have acknowledged the issue, claiming that the efforts were being made to educate residents about preventing diarrhoea. They reported that 155 persons in 35 houses at New Gautam Nagar, 130 in 51 houses at Kabir Vihar and 41 houses in Pink City and Bank Colony had been vaccinated. They said the municipal corporation had been informed and steps been requested to prevent further cases.

Asha Devi, a resident of Gautam Nagar, voiced her frustration: “During the campaign, big promises were made by CM Bhagwant Mann, but within a week, it feels like we have been forgotten. All attention and resources allocated to Jalandhar West have disappeared. We want the new MLA to address these issues before the situation worsens.”

Other residents echoed similar sentiments, urging newly elected MLA Mohinder Bhagat to take immediate action. They called on him to engage with municipal corporation officials to resolve the water contamination problem and deliver on the promises made during the election campaign.

Notices issued to MC staffers

Jalandhar: After water sample in Rattan Nagar street and a few surrounding areas of Jalandhar West recently failed the purity test, the MC Commissioner swung into action and issued show-cause notices to the employees, who have failed to address the water contamination issues. A notice has been sent to an employee of Water testing lab for delay in submitting the record of failed water samples with the MC.

“There are areas where water contamination has been found and the notices have been issued to those MC officials dealing with the area,” a senior MC official said.

He said there were 10 sensitive areas in the Jalandhar West, including street number 7,8,9 of Shri Babu Labh Singh Nagar, street number 4 of Rattan Nagar, Bhargo Camp, Abadpura, Sangat Singh Nagar and Rasila Nagar of Basti Danishmanda.

In Jalandhar North, Gopal Nagar, Mitha Bazar, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Saipur, Gandhi Camp and Ram Nagar are the most vulnerable.