A huge pile of garbage, swarms of flies and a foul stench greets one while entering Nawanshahr from the backside of the sugar mill on the road leading to ward no. 13 on the day of the Municipal Council elections, turning civic neglect into the biggest talking point among voters.
The overflowing garbage dump had spilled onto the road, highlighting the sanitation crisis that people say has plagued the area.
At Pole Star Public School in Teachers Colony, one of Nawanshahr’s oldest and first planned residential colonies where polling was underway, residents voiced anger over persistent sewerage, water supply and garbage disposal problems.
Vivek Markanda, president of the Teachers Colony Welfare Society, said the colony was established in the 1970s by a committee formed by teachers.
“Sewerage issues and the garbage dump are among the major problems of the colony. Recently, there was also a serious issue of dirty water supply, though it has been resolved for now,” he said.
Until nearly a month ago, residents had repeatedly raised concerns over the alleged supply of contaminated water and had even warned authorities of a large-scale protest if the issue was not permanently addressed.
Locals claimed that despite repeated complaints and temporary fixes, the problem had continued for months, severely affecting their daily lives, but, finally the issue was resolved recently.
With civic issues dominating election discussions, candidates also made promises to address the concerns.
Advocate Paramjit Singh Bakhshi, a candidate from ward no. 13, said his wife had earlier served as councillor from the ward and several smaller garbage dumps had been removed during her tenure.
“We will remove this dump as well. The issue of dirty water supply also remains, and I will ensure it is resolved,” he said.
Independent candidate and four-time councillor Makhan Singh Grewal also promised swift action if elected.
“If I win, I will resolve the issue within 15 days and eliminate the garbage dump,” he said.
As Nawanshahr voted for its new municipal council, overflowing garbage, crumbling sewerage infrastructure and water woes appeared to overshadow political slogans, with residents hoping the elections would finally bring long-awaited civic relief.