Who will clean Jalandhar? Sewage overflows despite complaints, camps
It seems that several civic issues that are perennial in nature are troubling the city residents with sewage overflow being one of them. Gandhi Camp, Bhargo Camp, Dakoha, Sant Nagar, Qazi Mandi, Shiv Nagar, Ram Nagar, Gazi Gulla and Transport Nagar are among the areas in Jalandhar that grapple with the issue of overflowing sewage now and then. Left with no option, those affected gather and hold dharnas, raising slogans against the civic body.
“It seems to be a 365-day problem that will never leave,” said the city residents in an apparent dig at the Municipal Corporation. In some streets of Gandhi Nagar area, the residents have placed bricks on road to cross it. Sewage overflows on the road. The excitement of Diwali has been overshadowed by the suffering caused by the sewerage issue.
Former MLA Rajinder Beri, a senior Congress leader, said that sewage overflow was a huge problem in Dakoha as well. “The authorities should use Super Suction machines in a proper manner. The situation is grave,” he added.
Recently, the Congress leaders had held a protest in this regard that saw the participation of Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry, District Congress Committee (Urban) president and former MLA Rajinder Beri, former Deputy Mayor Surinder Kaur and former councillor Sherry Chaddha.
The protest also received support from presidents and members of various residential welfare societies and market committees, all voicing their grievances over the bad condition of roads, overflowing sewers, contaminated water supply and non-functional streetlights.
While residents were waiting for a solution to the sewerage woes, “Aap Di Sarkar, Aap De Dwar” camps held earlier this year had given some ‘hope’ to them. The affected residents also came to the camp in large numbers and shared their ordeal. Most of the problems reported at the camps were also related to sewerage.
People from Bhullar colony, Dakoha village and other nearby areas had then shared their plight at one of the camps. The residents stated that they had been suffering a lot because of sewage overflow. After listening to their problems, then Additional Commissioner Amarjit Singh Bains, along with MLA Jalandhar Central Raman Arora had paid a visit to the Jaitewal Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), where they were informed that the STP was not working to its capacity.
Even after protests, camps and complaints, the situation remains the same with hardly any difference on the ground.
