PSHRC seeks report from Amritsar MC chief on poor upkeep of Heritage Street

The commission acted on a report in Hindustan Times, Amritsar’s Heritage Street reduced to stinking waterway, which highlighted how a spell of rain is enough to inundate the stretch from Town Hall to the Golden Temple due to poor drainage and civic apathy.

The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) on Friday took suo-motu cognizance of the poor state of Heritage Street that leads to the holiest Sikh shrine of Golden Temple and called for report from the Amritsar municipal corporation commissioner on or before the next date of hearing on October 30.

The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) on Friday took suo-motu cognizance of the poor state of Heritage Street that leads to the holiest Sikh shrine of Golden Temple. The stretch from Town Hall to the shrine gets inundated every monsoon due to poor drainage and civic apathy. (Sameer Sehgal/HT file)

The PSHRC acted on a report published in Hindustan Times on August 23, Amritsar’s Heritage Street reduced to stinking waterway, which highlighted how a spell of rain is enough to inundate the stretch from Town Hall to the Golden Temple due to poor drainage and civic apathy.

The notice (complaint No. 6064/1/2024 –FC) issued by PSHRC chairperson Justice Sant Parkash reads, “The commission has perused the news item published in a leading daily newspaper under the caption, Amritsar’s Heritage Street reduced to stinking waterway, on how a spell of rain is enough to reduce the stretch from Town Hall to the Golden Temple to a stinking waterway due to poor sewerage disposal and civic apathy.”

The notice specifically pointed to the lack of response from MC commissioner Harpreet Singh. “It is also mentioned in the news that commissioner, municipal corporation, did not respond to calls. The executive engineer said the water could not be pumped out because of electricity cut imposed by PCPCL,” the notice read.

Amritsar Vikas Manch patron Kulwant Singh Ankhi, who has been raising the issue for several years, hailed the PSHRC action, saying the authorities concerned must be held accountable.

Built at a cost of ₹160 crore, the showcase project of the Parkash Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government was inaugurated on with much fanfare October 24, 2016. But eight years on, the project aimed at beautifying the path to Golden Temple is a picture of neglect. Shopkeepers in the area complain that sanitation workers don’t maintain the area regularly.