With the monsoon season approaching, concerns are mounting over the city’s preparedness to tackle waterlogging, a recurring problem that affects more than 30 low-lying localities every year.
One of the major reasons behind prolonged water accumulation during heavy rainfall is the inadequate desilting of sewer lines before the onset of the monsoon. Civic experts and residents say the Amritsar Municipal Corporation has consistently failed to clean the sewer network to the required extent, resulting in rainwater remaining stagnant on roads for hours after showers.
The municipal corporation launched its annual desilting drive on April 23, targeting identified hotspots across the city. Officials said desilting work has so far been carried out on around 65 km of sewer lines. However, with nearly 185 km of main sewer lines in the city, concerns remain over whether the exercise will be completed before the rains arrive.
Several vulnerable locations continue to face the threat of waterlogging. These include Town Hall, Taran Taran Road, Batala Road, Court Road, Gandhi Ground, Madan Mohan Malaviya Road, Putlighar, Beri Gate, Hathi Gate, the bus stand, the railway station, Circuit House Road, Maqbool Road, Mahna Singh Road, the Chatiwind area, Chamarang Road, GT Road near Alpha One Mall, Sultanwind Road, Cooper Road, Crystal Chowk and several stretches along Circular Road.
The civic body has also constructed seven rainwater harvesting pits at key locations and is working on five more. However, these structures are expected to provide only limited relief. The city continues to rely largely on sanitary sewer lines for drainage as it lacks a dedicated storm-water drainage network.
Residents and elected representatives from several wards have complained that desilting work has either been delayed or not carried out in their areas.
Pawan Kumar, a resident of the Jora Phatak area, said low-lying localities remain submerged during every spell of heavy rain due to the absence of a proper drainage system. He urged the municipal corporation to construct dedicated storm-water drains, noting that the route serves as an important link for residents of several wards.
Meanwhile, the Khaparkheri and Gaunsabad sewage treatment plants are already receiving water beyond their designed capacity, contributing to waterlogging in Guru ki Wadali, Chheharta and other areas of the West Assembly constituency.
