A sewer leak has flooded the record room of the Municipal Corporation's Zone A office in Ludhiana, damaging important financial records and highlighting persistent failures in recordkeeping by the civic body.
Incident Details
According to officials, sewer water entered the record room located in the basement near Mata Rani Chowk, soaking several G-8 books stored on shelves. Employees reported that sewer water had been seeping into the basement for three days due to a leakage in the main sewer line running outside the building. The G-8 books contain financial records from various MC branches, including receipts for property tax, water and sewer charges, compounding fees for building violations, and other civic dues.
Recurring Problem
The basement record rooms, which house decades-old documents, have long been vulnerable to water seepage, especially during monsoons. Employees noted that water has entered the basement multiple times in the past. Officials admitted that a few months ago, another adjoining record room storing property-related documents was similarly affected by water seepage. Despite this, no permanent measures were taken to protect the records or move them to a safer location.
Official Response
Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar visited the record room after the incident and reviewed the damage. He directed officials to immediately identify and stop the leakage to prevent further damage. “We have taken up the matter with the MC Commissioner and other officials concerned. The first priority is to stop the leakage. After the water is removed, it will be possible to assess the extent of damage and identify which branches’ data has been affected,” Prashar said.
Municipal officials acknowledged that tracing old files is often difficult because records are stored in poor conditions. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the MC had previously lost birth and death records from 1991 to 1993 after they were damaged by termites.
Call for Action
Residents and officials believe the incident underscores the urgent need for proper preservation, digitization, and secure storage of civic records to prevent irreparable loss in the future. The damage to financial records raises concerns about the municipality's ability to maintain accurate accounts and provide services to citizens.
