Boundary wall, pathways to come up along UBDC

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 16

To do away with the practice of throwing garbage into the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC), Amritsar South MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria said the government had planned to construct a boundary wall and curvilinear pathways alongside the canal from Sultanwind village to the Tarn Taran road bridge in his constituency.

He said the state government had sanctioned funds from the Punjab Urban Environment Improvement Programme (PUEIP) for the project.

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has prepared an estimate of Rs3.50 crore for the same. Following the chapter 19 of the Punjab Municipal Accounting Manual-2017 and guidelines of the PUEIP, the estimated amount has been sanctioned at the General House meeting.

It was a long-pending demand of local residents, who have been demanding pathways along the canal.

The MC has decided to construct curvilinear pathways for villagers so that they can walk. Initially, former Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu had conceptualised the project, but failed to implement it in his constituency.

Mayor Karmajit Singh Rintu said the motive behind the move was to save the canal from turning into a garbage dump.

The UBDC has been crying for attention for years. Residents don’t hesitate from throwing polythene bags and other waste into the canal. During the festival season, residents can be seen immersing garlands, ashes, polythene, sacks and other material into the canal.