E-Paper
Residents live in fear as broken sewage pipes pose risk of cave-ins
Residents are being forced to live under fear of land cave-ins and risk of catching diseases as the sewage, due to broken pipes, has been flowing unabatedly into the basement of the incomplete City Centre project in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, for the past one year.
Residents are being forced to live under fear of land cave-ins and risk of catching diseases as the sewage, due to broken pipes, has been flowing unabatedly into the basement of the incomplete City Centre project in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, for the past one year.
In absence of any action from the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), sewage has been collecting in the basement of the City Centre building, leading to soil erosion and foul smell.
According to residents, the sewage pipes commonly get damaged here but this time the sewage lane has not been repaired for last one year. Several road cave-ins have also taken place in the area, but no steps have been taken to repair the roads and broken sewer pipes. Residents also complain that snakes often enter their houses.
The multi-crore Ludhiana City Centre project, which is spread over 25 acres, was launched in 2003, but the construction work was stalled as the project was embroiled in a scam, and the matter is sub judice.
“We have been watching sewage flowing into the basement of the City Centre due to broken sewage pipes for the past one year. Around three years ago, too, these pipes had broken due to a road cave-in. But the authorities had repaired them. However, this time around, nobody is paying attention to the problem,” said Jatinderpal Singh Manchanda, vice-president of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Welfare and Sahyog Society (G Block).
“Earlier soil erosion occurred during rains only; but now it continues throughout the year due to broken sewage pipes. We are afraid that the park in the area can cave in anytime,” he added.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, along with four other colonies, was transferred to the LIT in January 2014. Earlier, the five colonies were shifted from the LIT to municipal corporation (MC) on April 3, 2013. But the process was stalled.
Another resident, who doesn't wish to be named, said, “We have given several complaints to the LIT, but in vain. Consequently, residents are suffering a lot.”
Meanwhile, officials concerned from LIT are not ready to take responsibility of the problem by claiming that they have not got any directions to start maintenance work here.
Sukhbir Jakhar, trust engineer at LIT, said, “The colony has not been handed over to us. We have yet to take back our `321 lakh, which we gave to MC while shifting the five colonies to it. Only then can we start work. We had handed over this colony to MC last year, so they should do this maintenance work.”
However, MC commissioner Shruti Singh, who is also the chairman of LIT, said she would take up the matter. She assured that the problem being faced by the residents would be redressed very soon.
