Who will cover open drains in Ludhiana? Filled with garbage, filth, uncovered drains remain threat to commuters, pedestrians
Ludhiana had emerged as the best smart city in the state in the past but it has another side too as one can find open drains and nullahs at many places emitting stinking smell.
Diwali is just here and everybody is busy cleaning their houses but who will cover these open drains in the city so that foul smell is not emitted, spoiling your festivities.
In many city areas, open roadside drains remain filled with dirt, filth and garbage and things become difficult during the rainy season when the drains overflow and all refuse get mixed with rainwater, emitting foul smell.
One can also see open roadside drains along national highways, which sometimes also result in accidents. Huge quantities of trash, including plastic, is dumped in the drains, which lead to blocking of the same.
Open drains can also be seen near Bhadaur House, Damoria Bridge, Old Courts Road, Haibowal, Panj Peer Road, Ghoda Colony and also on main roads such as the Jalandhar bypass and Ferozepur road.
Residents of Ghoda Colony rue that open drains were a major cause of concern for them. During rainfall, water gets accumulates in streets due to the clogging of the sewerage system and open drains further add to their woes.
Ram Lal, a resident of the colony, said they face tough times due to open drains in the area. “There is a need for immediate action to address the issue in the area.
Tejinder Singh, who runs, a shop near Damoria Bridge, said the whole area near Damoria Bridge turns into a pool even after showers. “It becomes difficult to commute on the road during rainfall. The drain flows from here, which emits foul smell, and it also leads to accumulation of water in the area,” he said.
“Stinking smell makes it difficult to pass through the stretch and situation gets worse during the rainy season. Despite all this, people continue to throw garbage into the open drains,” Tejinder said.
One open drain also passes through the Bhadaur House area and the MC office is located at a few meters away from it but nobody seems to be bothered about the same.
The cover of the roadside drain on the Old Courts Road is broken from many places and has led to wild growth and collection of garbage and filth.
During monsoons, it gets filled with water and things turn unmanageable. After rainfall, water overflows from it, leaving garbage and filth on the road.
On the one side of the drain, there is a garbage dump of the MC and the offices of the Zila Parishad and Water Supply and Sewerage Board. Post Office and the Vigilance Bureau office are also located nearby and a large number of people visit the area every day.
A visitor at one of the offices said the situation remains the same throughout the year. The garbage dump also stinks and during the rainy season, passing through the area is a tough task.
The condition of the roadside drain on Ferozepur Road, which has never been cleaned, is also the same as it always remain filled with garbage.
Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi said these drains need to be cleaned at regular intervals and especially, before the beginning of the monsoon season.
“This year, I made sure to get all drains cleaned before the rainy season. Those located along highways is the responsibility of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),” he said.
Spoiling festivities
Diwali is just here and everybody is busy cleaning their houses but who will cover these open drains in the city so that foul smell is not emitted, spoiling your festivities. Besides city areas, One can also see open roadside drains along national highways, which sometimes also result in accidents.
