Residents of Veer Enclave deprived of water, complaint marked as ‘solved’

Despite tall claims by the Municipal Corporation regarding its online grievance redressal platform M-Seva, residents of Ward No. 35 in Veer Enclave, falling under East Assembly constituency, have been suffering without drinking water supply for the past six days.

The disruption is caused by a malfunctioning motor, which has yet to be repaired. Locals alleged that their complaints, submitted through the M-Seva app and the Municipal Corporation’s official WhatsApp number, are being marked as “solved” without any actual resolution on the ground. The false closure of complaints has added to their frustration, with many accusing the Corporation of misleading the public and undermining trust in digital governance.

Speaking on the issue, Junior Engineer Rajesh Sharma said that the motor got damaged a few days ago due to rainwater. “The maintenance contract has been given to a private company. We have informed them and the repair will be done when their workers are available,” he added. However, residents are far from satisfied. They claim this is not the first time the water motor has failed. “Every two months the motor breaks down and we are left without water,” said Navdeep Kaur, a local resident. “The MC is ruining its credibility by giving fake status updates online. It’s not just inconvenient, it’s disrespectful.”

As temperatures continue to soar in Amritsar, the water crisis in Veer Enclave has highlighted serious gaps in the functioning of civic services and raised questions about the effectiveness of digital complaint mechanisms like M-Seva. Residents are now demanding immediate repairs and accountability from the authorities.

MC official holds review meeting: In a meeting held here on Thursday, MC Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh assessed the ongoing development works being executed under the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP). The MC official stated that the meeting was focused on the current progress, future strategies and the push for digitisation within the Amritsar Municipal Corporation.

“PMSIP, being implemented with the financial and technical support of the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), aims to enhance urban service delivery and infrastructure in Amritsar. One of its flagship components is the Amritsar Bulk Water Supply Scheme, which will eventually supply clean drinking water from the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) directly to households across the city,” said the MC Additional Commissioner.

During the meeting, a detailed progress report on the civil and technical works was presented to the Additional Commissioner.

Amritsar