Waterlogging in service lanes irks commuters

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 21

The rainwater recharge wells, constructed along metro bus lanes for rainwater harvesting, is not working properly on GT Road. Water accumulation can be seen in the newly-constructed lanes for the last two days. The situation is worse on Putligarh-railway station stretch where waterlogging has brought the traffic to a standstill.

Water chambers can be seen blocked with garbage and debris. Service lanes in several places are under construction. Residents say the problem of waterlogging has increased manifold after the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) lanes.

Gurdev Singh, a resident of Putligarh, said, “Waterlogging here is one of the major issues. The government has spent crores of rupees on the BRTS project, but failed to address this issue. Rainwater is still there on the road. Water recharging wells are not working properly.”

“The project is still incomplete and debris is lying in the chambers. Water accumulation is there even in the central lane. The project witnessed poor craftsmanship”, said Ravi, another resident.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Public Works Department (PWD), who wished not to be named, claimed rainwater recharge wells were working properly. “The surface level of road is low than the nearby areas so it witnesses waterlogging. Water chambers require cleaning. We will get it checked,” he said. He, however, kept mum when asked about the deadline of the project.