Sewage overflow raises safety concerns in Ludhiana

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 1

Commuters are a harried lot as a stretch of the main Chandigarh Road (national highway) is in a dilapidated condition near Sector 39 and Jamalpur Chowk, giving an open invitation to mishaps. The situation has turned worse as MC’s sewer is continuously overflowing on the road these days.

A few barricades have been placed in the middle of the national highway, alerting commuters about deep potholes filled with sewage. Area residents have been complaining about the poor condition of the stretch but the MC and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are yet to take necessary steps.

Jagjeet Singh Mann of the Watawaran Sambhal Society, a resident of Chandigarh Road, said: “Sewage has been overflowing regularly on the badly broken portion of the road. The authorities concerned must ensure safety of commuters on the national highway.”

Civic body officials said the MC was carrying out cleaning of the main sewer line from Vardhman Chowk to Samrala Chowk on Chandigarh Road, Ludhiana. The sewer line was plugged whenever the cleaning work was conducted, resulting in sewage overflows at Jamalpur Chowk and nearby areas.

MC Superintending Engineer Rajinder Singh said: “The sewer line cleaning work is being conducted by using super suction machines at night after plugging the line. If we carry out the work during daytime when the flow of sewage remains too high, the entire area will get flooded.”