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Ludhiana: Dhoka Mohalla residents allege civic apathy, stage protest over drainage woes
Residents alleged that dirty water accumulation and a persistent foul smell had made daily life unbearable in the locality
Pushed to the brink by foul smell and unhygienic conditions that have persisted for over 10 days, residents of Dhoka Mohalla staged a two-hour protest outside the municipal corporation’s Zone D office on Monday, accusing civic authorities of ignoring a chronic drainage problem.
Residents alleged that dirty water accumulation and a persistent foul smell had made daily life unbearable in the locality. While such conditions were earlier witnessed largely during the rainy season, they said the problem had now intensified even in dry weather, pointing to a chronic drainage failure that authorities had failed to resolve despite repeated complaints.
Congress councillors joined the residents in the protest and blocked the main entrance of the Zone D office, disrupting official functioning for nearly two hours. Several citizens who had come to the civic office forroutine work were forced to return without their grievances being addressed due to the blockade.
The protesters claimed the drainage issue had plagued the area for years and that successive governments had failed to provide a permanent solution. They alleged that assurances to cover the drain and improve sanitation were routinely made during elections but were never implemented.
As a result of the deteriorating environment, residents said property values in the locality had declined significantly.
They further alleged that the unhygienic conditions had effectively confined many residents to their homes and that repeated representations to civic officials had gone unanswered.
Expressing anger over what they described as “official apathy”, some residents warned that they would boycott future elections if their demands continued to be ignored.
Zonal commissioner Jasdev Sekhon and joint commissioner Vineet Kumar reached the protest site and held talks with the residents. Following the assurance that a solution to the problem would be worked out soon and that inspections were already underway, the protesters agreed to call off the agitation.
Congress councillor Arun Sharma said the civic body had once again assured action but warned that if the problem persisted, residents and councillors would intensify their agitation. He alleged that patience had worn thin due to repeated failures on the part of the municipal corporation.
Meanwhile, civic body officials attributed the situation to a high inflow of water into theBuddha Nullah drain, stating that the drain level was already elevated. They said the irrigation department had been requested to reduce the water discharge, while civic teams were assessing conditions in Dhoka Mohalla. Officials also cited ongoing bridge construction over the drain as a complicating factor.
Superintending engineer Harpreet Singh said civic body teams had visited the locality and that a solution would be worked out shortly.
