90% water plaints pour in from southern sectors

Northern sectors in Chandigarh continue to be ‘privileged’ as far as water supply, sanitation, encroachments or streetlights are concerned.

A look at the complaints received by the municipal corporation helpline number ‘155304’, launched two years ago, has revealed that 90% complaints about these civic amenities are from the sectors that are south of Madhya Marg. Among the most-affected areas are Sectors 40 to 44 and Manimajra.

Water and sewerage complaints top the list, as they make for one-third of the 15,000 complaints.

Sanitation is second with over 4,000 complaints. The MC claimed that they had redressed majority of the complaints, with only 320 pending.

It was in December 2012, when the MC launched its online grievance system for residents to register their complaints either by logging on to www.mcchandigarh.nic.in or osd_mcc@chdut.nic.in. Later in July 2014, the corporation also launched the toll-free helpline number to receive complaints.

Skewed distribution of water

An MC survey in 2014 revealed that there was skewed distribution of water between northern and southern sectors.

While residents of northern Sectors like 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9 were drawing 1,000 litres per capita per day (LPCD), those in Sectors 33, 34, 35, 36, and 49 were drawing only 400 LPCD.

The average domestic consumption per day by city residents is 250 litres as compared to 150 litres at the national level. MC officials admitted that the average domestic per capita consumption during winter and summer seasons was more or less the same.

Similarly, residents of southern sectors are the worst hit when it comes to insanitation. The municipal corporation (MC) for long has been grappling to streamline the garbage collection system due to shortage of both manpower and equipment in the southern sectors. However, the situation is much better in the northern sectors, which are visibly far cleaner. hillary.victor@hindustantimes.com