Waterlogging key concern in parts of Atam Nagar, Model Town Extension

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, October 1

Several parts of Atam Nagar, Kartar Nagar and Dugri Road near Model Town Extension (Block D) in Ward 49 (as designated in the 2018 ward delimitation) experience waterlogging every rainy season. Despite residents repeatedly raising their concern, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has failed to find a permanent solution to the issue.

The residents are also troubled by issues such as traffic-related problems on Dugri Road and the defunct static waste compactor near Canal Bridge. Besides, clogged sewers and occasional instances of contaminated water supply in New Kartar Nagar and the presence of stray dogs in Block D of Model Town Extension are also major concerns for them. Some people also highlighted commercial activities in residential areas.

What residents say

We want issues related to waterlogging during rain in Kartar Nagar and parts of nearby Atam Nagar should be addressed. Streets are not regularly cleaned in our area. We demand streets must be regularly cleaned and provision of public toilets be made available in the market. —Pardeep Singh, Kartar Nagar

The non-functional static waste compactor near Canal Bridge must be fixed to prevent insanitary conditions. We want the authorities to address issues such as traffic congestion on Dugri Road, waterlogging during rain, cable entanglements and stray dog menace. Moreover, unplanned commercialisation of residential areas needs to be strictly stopped. —Deepak Nagpal, Block D, Model Town Extension

Voicing their grievances, the residents pointed out that rain waterlogging was a common problem near Atam Park, a school and a few other sections of Atam Nagar, including the street leading to a temple. They demanded that the MC should address the issue promptly. Additionally, a few streets in the Atam Nagar have developed potholes.

Shopkeepers in nearby Kartar Nagar and New Kartar Nagar complained about lack of cleanliness and the absence of public toilets for both shopkeepers and visitors. Near the Dugri railway tracks, garbage is openly dumped along a road.

A resident of New Kartar Nagar near Dhuri rail tracks said: “Sewers here often get blocked and we have recently faced issues due to contaminated water supply. The MC needs to resolve these problems promptly.”

Deepak Nagpal from D Block, Model Town Extension, pointed out that the city’s first static waste compactor system near the Canal bridge had been non-functional for the past few years. As a result, waste was being dumped openly and leachate from garbage accumulates along the road, emitting a foul odour. It was difficult to pass through the area due to the stench.

MC officials had previously stated that the old static waste compactor system would be replaced with a new one in the near future. However, the new system is yet to be installed.

Some residents from the same locality pointed out major waterlogging problems during rainy days near a school in Block D of Model Town Extension on Dugri Road. They also highlighted lack of action to address traffic congestion on Dugri Road and the absence of proper checks on commercial establishments in residential areas. There are no public toilet facilities in the newly developed Leisure Valley along the Sidhwan Canal.

The residents also raised concerns about the tangled mess of cables and dangling wires, which had not seen any attention from the relevant authorities. Furthermore, a railway overbridge had not been constructed on the Dana Mandi road.

The inhabitants have also expressed concerns about snatching incidents in their area and were calling on the government to install CCTVs and increase police patrolling.

Rajinder Kaur of the Congress had won the elections from Ward 49 in 2018. She, unfortunately, passed away in 2021. Over the past five years, development works, such as road and street construction or recarpeting and interlocking tile installations, were carried out in various parts of the ward.

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