Ludhiana: Arora for renting 25 spl machines to clear sewers; poll stunt: Oppn
According to MC sources, companies charge ₹500- 1000 per metre for sewer cleaning and rates differ according to pipe diameter, with each machine covering around 200 metres per day; at present, seven super suction machines are in operation, but only one belongs to the MC, while the remaining six are on rent
Rajya Sabha MP from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and nominee of upcoming West constituency by-polls Sanjeev Arora, on Tuesday evening, during a meeting with MC officials, asked them to rent 25-30 super suction machines to clear sewer lines across the constituency.
MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said, “We have been asked to get around 20-30 super suction machines, but we will rent as per the requirement after taking the whole process into consideration.”
MP Sanjeev Arora said, “I have asked MC officials to bring either 25 or 30 machines as per the requirement to ensure that residents do not face problems due to sewerage blockage in the upcoming monsoon season.”
The opposition is labelling the move a part of pre-election groundwork, raising concerns over the rising election-related expenditures, as renting these machines for 20 days is expected to cost around ₹8-10 crore.
Reacting to the decision, the leader of the Opposition, Shyam Sunder Malhotra, said, “The move is nothing but a pre-election groundwork. Why all of a sudden this decision was taken and why only for a particular constituency. We will make sure the pockets of taxpayers do not face the brunt of this pre-election stunt
According to MC sources, companies charge ₹500- 1000 per metre for sewer cleaning and rates differ according to pipe diameter, with each machine covering around 200 metres per day. At present, seven super suction machines are in operation, but only one belongs to the MC, while the remaining six are on rent. Now, the plan of renting 30 more machines, just to resolve sewerage issues in the West constituency before the elections, has raised concerns among citizens also, who are questioning the temporary nature of the solution and whether such heavy expenditure is justified for short-term election-focused work instead of long-term infrastructure development.
Rupinder Kaur, from west constituency, said, “State government has put in all their efforts for this upcoming by-election for west constituency as chief minister is visiting every alternate day to the city and now MC is going to spend crores of rupees for the super suction machines for rent and this would directly impact on the pockets of the city residents. Why all this only before the by-election and why are machines only for the west constituency?”
While officials have been asked to execute the cleanliness drive swiftly, concerned citizens and urban planning experts argue that spending such a large amount on machine rentals, rather than investing in permanent sewage solutions, is not a sustainable approach.
“Instead of renting machines at such high rates, the MC should focus on purchasing its own fleet and improving sewer maintenance systems to avoid last-minute expenses before elections,” said a Ganesh, a city resident.
The date of the by-election is yet to be announced.