Residents of Mayor Inderjit Kaur's own Ward 13 in Ludhiana, particularly those in Karamsar Colony lanes 5 to 9, have been grappling with damaged roads, overflowing sewage, waterlogging, and contaminated drinking water for nearly a year, with little relief despite repeated complaints.
Infrastructure Woes in Mayor's Ward
According to residents, roads were dug up about a year ago for laying sewerage pipelines but the civic body has failed to restore them. The uneven roads are now filled with deep potholes holding stagnant sewer water, making it difficult for pedestrians and motorists to pass.
Vijay Sharma, a resident, said: “The roads have become almost unusable. Every time it rains or the sewer overflows, dirty water collects on the road and remains there for days. We have complained several times but to no avail.”
Health and Safety Concerns
Rani, another resident, noted the foul smell from overflowing sewage is a daily problem. “Children, elderly people and women have to walk through dirty water. The entire area stinks and mosquitoes have increased due to the stagnant water,” she said.
Nisha alleged that the drinking water supply often gets contaminated due to damaged sewer lines. “We are worried about our health. Sometimes the drinking water is muddy and has a foul smell. We fear it may lead to water-borne diseases,” she added.
Impact on Daily Life
Meena said the colony has been waiting for road repairs for months. “The authorities dug up the roads and left them like this. It seems nobody is concerned about the hardships of the residents,” she said.
Satnam Singh noted that daily commuting has become a challenge. “Two-wheelers frequently skid on the broken surface and elderly residents find it difficult to even step out of their homes. During the rainy season, the entire stretch turns into a pool of dirty water,” he said.
Children at Risk
Karnail Singh pointed out that the area has nearly five schools, forcing hundreds of children to traverse the damaged stretch daily. “The schoolchildren have to walk along edges of the road to avoid potholes and stagnant water. Several minor accidents have already occurred as vehicles struggle to pass through the narrow usable portion. The road should be repaired soon to avert any major mishap,” he said.
Residents questioned how citizens can expect better civic amenities when the Mayor's own ward struggles with basic infrastructure. They demanded immediate re-carpeting of roads, repair of the damaged sewer network, and steps to ensure safe and clean drinking water supply.
Municipal Response
Prabhjot Singh, sub-divisional officer of the Municipal Corporation, said: “The water supply connections have been installed a few months ago and we are going to recarpet the road soon. Earlier, an O&M cell dug up the roads to lay their sewer pipe and now we are going to complete the process.”
Despite repeated attempts, Mayor Inderjit Kaur was not available for comments.
