Traders, residents protest for three hours against overflowing sewers on Chandar nagar road of Haibowal

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 16

Slamming the Municipal Corporation (MC) for ignoring overflowing sewers on Chandar Nagar Road of Haibowal in Ward 92, shopkeepers and residents staged a protest against the civic body authorities by blocking the traffic for over three hours. The road was already in a poor condition but it has now badly flooded with sewage, the protesters said.

No action taken despite complaints

Shopkeepers had been complaining against overflowing sewers on Chandar Nagar Road for nearly a week but the civic body took no action. Thus, they were forced to hold a protest on Thursday. However, traffic got affected on the main road due to the protest.

The MC had earlier plugged the main sewerage line for desilting but it failed to make any necessary arrangement to avoid unsanitary conditions on the stretch. The shopkeepers had been complaining against overflowing sewers for nearly a week but the civic body took no action. Thus, they were forced to hold a protest today.

A shopkeeper, Rajinder, said: “The sewage has been getting accumulated outside shops for nearly one week. It is difficult for commuters to pass through the road flooded with sewage due to the negligence of the MC, Ludhiana. The sewage is not only getting accumulated on the main road but also flowing back to houses.”

Another shopkeeper on Chandar Nagar Road said: “People have been left to suffer on the stretch flooded with sewage. Such extremely bad conditions are giving an open invitation to diseases. Before plugging the sewerage line for cleaning purposes, the MC must have taken necessary steps to avoid such a situation so that people don’t face any inconvenience.” Traffic got affected on the main road due to the protest today. After getting assurance from ward councillor Harvinder Pal Singh and the MC official concerned that the problem would be resolved by Monday, the protesters lifted the dharna. Councillor Harvinder Pal Singh said the protesting shopkeepers had been assured that the problem would be resolved by Monday.

“If the MC did not resolve it, I, along with shopkeepers, will sit on a protest on Tuesday”, he added. MC’s SDO Anshul Garcha said only one manhole was remaining and it would be cleaned soon.

He said sewers were not overflowing now.

However, MC Superintending Engineer Ravinder Garg could not be contacted for comments.