Colony residents block flyover, seek wall along drain to check flood

Residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony staged a protest this morning by blocking the road across Maqsudan flyover over lackadaisical attitude of the Municipal Corporation in protecting their area from floods.

They said they reside in a low-lying colony with a constant risk of flooding in the ongoing monsoon season. They demanded that a retaining wall be constructed along the Kala Sanghian Drain that runs through the colony. Raj Rani, a protester, said, “Our house is just adjoining the drain and we are among those facing the highest risk. Had the MC officials got constructed a wall for our safety, we would have been sleeping peacefully. If this drain gets flooded, which is a common problem every season, the smelly, filthy water will enter our houses damaging our belongings and making us prone to ailments".

The residents blocked the road using ropes, ladders and themselves squatted in the middle. “The work to erect tow wall had been cleared 1.5 years back. The work has been halted since the past four months. We have been requesting the officials to intervene but no one has paid attention", they said.

The protest was finally lifted when SHO Division No. 1 reached the spot and managed to convince the people that he would arrange for their meeting with higher officials. Gurdip Singh, BJP councillor of Ward No. 82, said he too had lodged a complaint with officials of the MC several times but to no avail.

Jalandhar