Amritsar, March 22 There has been a considerable delay in covering a portion of nullah (sewage drain) passing from backside of the Maqboolpura locality despite passing of a resolution by the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) on August 1, 2013. Residents of the locality are forced to live in insanitary condition due to lackadaisical attitude of the Trust. With the onset of summers and gradually approaching rainy season, threat of diseases and unbearable stench looms large on the people living in the vicinity of the nullah. Residents are irked at laxity of the AIT in not fully covering an open drain adjacent to their locality. Most of them belong to economically weaker sections. The drain is covered in various localities including, Ajit Nagar, Uttam Nagar, East Mohan Nagar, Guru Ramdas Nagar, Guru Nanak Pura and 100-foot road. The stretch of the uncovered drain along the Maqboolpura locality starts from the GT road, adjoining Sri Guru Ram Das Dental Hospital. Social activist Harpinder Singh Walia alleged that since the matter pertained to a slum locality so, the government and its agencies were least bothered to complete the task, which was abandoned midway. Walia, who resides near the open drain, said sewage water spilled over the dilapidated road and turned it into muddy stretch. “Living conditions are pathetic here,” he added. He said district Congress leaders had organised agitations and even written to then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the matter, but all proved futile. Now, the Congress government was in power and it should take up the issue on a priority, he added. Another nearby resident Parminder Singh said a concrete road must be laid over the drain to provide convenient passage to residents of over 12 streets of the Maqboolpura locality to the GT road. He claimed that after the SAD-BJP coalition government came to power, the work was abandoned in the Maqboolpura area. He said as a result the sewerage was not linked across the GT road, which caused more trouble to the Maqboolpura locality, where the drain was uncovered. Another resident of the area, Shital Das, said not covering of the sewage drain and delay in providing basic amenities was inconveniencing area residents. He said laying of a road would bring tremendous relief to the people living in the area. When contacted, senior Congress leader Jugal Kishore Sharma said, “With the Congress government now in power it will be our top priority to get the nullah covered. In case residents demand road over the drain to avoid accumulation of water then it will be evaluated by Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu as the area falls in his constituency.”

Stay updated with all the Amritsar Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.