With the monsoon season fast approaching, concerns are mounting over the slow pace of de-silting work being undertaken by the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. Despite having more than six weeks to prepare for the rainy season, only around 10 to 15 km of the city’s main sewer lines have been de-silted so far, raising fears of widespread waterlogging once heavy rains begin.
According to information, the municipal corporation launched its de-silting drive on April 23. However, progress has remained sluggish. Amritsar has nearly 185 km of main sewer lines, but only a small portion has been cleaned so far. At present, the civic body is primarily focusing on identified waterlogging hotspots.
Waterlogging has long been a recurring problem in Amritsar during the monsoon. Several low-lying areas, including Heritage Street, Court Road, Batala Road, Taylor Road, Majitha Road, Wadali, Chheharta and Dhapai Road, regularly witness the accumulation of rainwater, causing inconvenience to residents, commuters and businesses.
Residents fear the situation may worsen this year as many main sewer lines and road gully chambers have yet to be cleaned. They say that if heavy rainfall occurs before the de-silting work is completed, several parts of the city could once again face severe flooding and traffic disruptions.
Court Road, once considered one of the city’s major waterlogging points, has seen significant improvement. Local traders said the area used to remain flooded during every spell of rain and repeated complaints had been submitted to the municipal corporation for nearly two decades. Following the construction of road gully chambers and a groundwater recharging well on Court Road, the problem has largely been resolved. Shopkeepers in the area expressed hope that rainwater would not accumulate there this year.
However, the situation remains a concern in several other localities. Residents living outside Navan Kot and along Dhapai Road alleged that sewer lines remain choked due to inadequate de-silting. They claimed that large sections of the drainage network are blocked and that the municipal corporation has failed to complete the cleaning work before the onset of the monsoon.
Many residents questioned the effectiveness of the annual de-silting exercise, saying civic authorities make tall claims every year, yet waterlogging continues to plague the city whenever it rains.
Sandeep Singh, a local resident, said the Municipal Commissioner and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) officials should personally inspect the field situation. “There should be proper cross-checking of the de-silting work being carried out. In many places, the silt removed from drains and sewer lines is left lying on roadsides for days and eventually washes back into the drainage system during rainfall,” he said.
Residents have urged the municipal corporation to speed up the de-silting drive and ensure that removed silt is transported away immediately to prevent recurring drainage problems. With the arrival of the monsoon imminent, citizens fear that any further delay could leave the city vulnerable to another season of waterlogged roads and overflowing sewers.
