Overflowing manholes on Heritage Street leading to Golden Temple expose Amritsar civic body’s tall claim
Charanjit Singh Teja
Amritsar, July 11
Stinky sewer water overflowing from a manhole brought forth the true picture behind the glitter of the Rs 250-crore Heritage Street project leading to Golden Temple. A short spell of rain led to waterlogging on a major stretch outside Jallianwala Bagh on Heritage Street. The manhole on the corner of Jallianwala Bagh also started overflowing after the rain.
There is no separate storm sewer in most areas of the walled city. The rainwater drains out through the sanitary sewer. There was some issue with the sewer lines under Heritage Street as last year the sewer water had entered the trenches of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) meant for the laying of underground cables. On Wednesday, after a short spell of rain, the sewer manhole overflowed for an hour and a major portion of the iconic Heritage Street was flooded with rainwater. The devotees were unable to walk with the stinky water around. Some shopkeepers put bricks in the waters for the convenience of pedestrians and visitors were seen walking on those bricks.
“It is not the first time that Heritage Street leading to the sacred Golden Temple has been inundated with sewer water. Rain increases the flow of water in the sanitary sewer causing it to overflow. It causes inconvenience to the devotees as they have no other option but to walk in the stinky black water,” said Ravi, a shopkeeper on Heritage Street.
“The rainwater used to accumulate on Heritage Street but now it drains out soon. Sewer manholes often overflow in the area, which poses a major inconvenience to the commuters. The Municipal Corporation should conduct desilting of the sewer lines around Golden Temple,” said Surinder Singh, an SGPC employee.
Jagdish Singh, a resident of Bagh Ramanand area, said, “The sewer lines under Heritage Street are not working properly. The MC should check the blockage, which leads to the overflow of sewer manholes. Earlier, the sewer water had entered the underground trenches of power cables.”
