Poor amenities infuriate Focal Point businessmen in Jalandhar

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 20

The Focal Point, Jalandhar, is grappling with deteriorating civic amenities. The area, which is home to numerous large industrial units, is plagued by potholed roads, overflowing sewage, non-functional streetlights and unattended garbage dumps, causing significant distress among industrialists.

Business owners in Focal Point have expressed their frustration, highlighting that despite paying substantial amounts in water and sewage levies as well as property taxes, they are not receiving the necessary infrastructure support. The situation worsens during the monsoon season when increased sewer discharge exacerbates the overflow, further damaging the already precarious roads.

Rajan Sharda, an industrialist, who recently raised the issue with the Municipal Corporation (MC), lamented the embarrassment of escorting clients and business parties from other states and countries through such poorly maintained surroundings. “It’s humiliating to showcase our factories amidst potholed roads and scattered garbage, where stray animals scavenge in groups,” Sharda said.

“We have invested crores in establishing our units. Does the government expect us to fund basic infrastructure improvements too,” he questioned.

Business owners emphasised that Focal Point hosts over 300 industries, and hundreds of vehicles pass through the area on a daily basis, besides, they regularly welcome clients from across the country and abroad, but still, the government is paying no attention towards its upkeep. “Huge promises were made during elections but in reality, no official has ever visited to address these pressing issues. “They are simply ignoring the problem,” they added.

Bhushan Luther, another industrialist, expressed concerns about the impending rainy season, predicting that the situation will deteriorate further as sewer water increasingly floods the roads. “Small pickup vehicles used for loading and unloading goods often fall into unseen potholes submerged in sewage-filled streets,” he said. He also noted the area becomes particularly unsafe in the evening due to the non-functionality of about half the streetlights. He said the snatchers often take advantage of the darkness, targeting the factory workers that leave late at night.

The industrialists further reported that the sewage outside their factories remains choked, emitting a foul odour that makes working conditions unbearable and pose several health hazards. “Providing basic infrastructure is the government’s responsibility, yet those in charge seem indifferent,” they said.

MC Commissioner Gautam Jain said the Focal Point area was developed by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) and has not been fully handed over to the MC. He highlighted that the STP installed by PSIEC there is not operating at full capacity, resulting in sewage overflow issues. He claimed that the MC is addressing and resolving the issues within its jurisdiction. However, he emphasized that major concerns related to Focal Point, such as development and the STP, require joint efforts.

Jain also stressed that industrialists must adhere to regulations, and said a meeting where both PSIEC and the industrialist association will be called in next few days for detailed discussions and to devise solutions.