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Under scrutiny, challenges galore for Ludhiana MC
As the year 2023 comes to a close, here’s a look at the hits and misses of the city municipal corporation
As curtains draw on 2023, Ludhiana municipal corporation finds itself under the scrutiny lens, facing widespread criticism for incomplete projects and unfulfilled promise of completing the multi-crore Buddha Nullah project. The ambitious ₹650 crore Buddha Nullah rejuvenation project, initiated in 2020, was originally scheduled for completion in 2022. However, last year, the department had to extend the project’s deadline to March 2024, citing various challenges. As many as 60 outlets discharging untreated water into the nullah are yet to be closed by the municipal corporation under the project. This revelation raises questions about the timeline for completing this vital environmental project, which aims to curtail the pollution of the water body. The primary objective of the project is to shutter all outlets that currently allow untreated wastewater to enter BuddhaNullah. Instead, these outlets will be connected to nearby sewage treatment plants, ensuring that all wastewater undergoes proper treatment before entering the nullah.
46 ghost employees in MC
Municipal corporation commissioner Sandeep Rishi has ordered a probe into the findings of the ongoing audit by the principal accountant general, revealing 46 ghost employees within the civic body. As per the findings in the audit, 45 ghost employees are within the health branch of the civic body, while there is one whose mention is nowhere in the municipal corporation records. Based on the revelations, the MC commissioner formed a four-member committee, headed by additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh, to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
Waste water enters city areas
Incessant rains in the month of July led to the breach in Buddha Nullah and Ganda Nullah, resulting in sewage and chemical water entering in various areas of the city, including Dhoka Mohalla, Dharampura, Ranjit Nagar and Bhamian Khurd. For more than a week, mixed water remained in the streets of these areas which forced the residents to stay in their houses. Residents faced losses along with health issues due to sewage water entering their houses. City residents highlighted that MC has failed to clean the blocked sewerage which led to the issue.
Overcharging at MC parking lots
Ignoring past incidents of fleecing and misbehaviour of parking lot staff with visitors, the municipal corporation authorities extended the term of parking contract of existing paid parking lots by two months in November. There is no relief for the public in the absence of any check by the MC authorities, especially at the parking lots of Bhadaur House and multi- level parking at MC Zone A office.
No vending zones in city
Even as the residents are facing traffic jams due to encroachments by vendors on city roads, the municipal corporation failed to establish vending zones in the city. In the past, MC had also proposed for model vending zone project, but nothing has been done so far. According to the Punjab Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending scheme 2016, each town vending committee shall conduct a survey to identify the vendors and allot them the specified marketplaces to vacate public places as per section 3. The MC had notified 64 vending zones with the capacity of 8,989 vendors on December 3, 2020 in compliance with the Street Vendors Act, but nothing has been done so far.
HIGHS
Railway underbridge at Pakhowal Road completed
The railway underbridge is a part of the Pakhowal Road ROB/RUBs project, being undertaken as part of the smart city mission with an estimated cost of approximately ₹131 crore. The RUB construction is complete and is expected to be inaugurated soon.
225 MLD STP inaugurated
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann inaugurated the 225 million litre per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant (STP) at Ludhiana’s Jamalpur area along with other projects worth ₹315 crore aimed at cleaning and rejuvenating the Buddha Nullah in February this year.
Dog park opened in city
In a unique initiative taken for the welfare of pet dogs and dog lovers, the municipal corporation commissioner Sandeep Rishi inaugurated a ‘Dog Park’ in the city. It has been established in Block-D of Bhai Randhir Singh (BRS) Nagar. The civic body authorities stated that it is the third park in the country and the first such in North India.
Mobile pothole machine purchased
The municipal corporation has bought two innovative mobile pothole patching machines based on infrared recycling technology at a cost of ₹3.86 crore that will repair the roads in no time without any hassle to commuters. With these machines, road repairs can be completed in just 20 minutes, allowing commuters to use the road promptly after the repairs are done. The machines are decorated with taglines ‘pothole buster’ and ‘the road doctor’.
