Dhoka Mohalla residents block civic body office over sewage

Ludhiana: Frustrated residents of Dhoka Mohalla, supported by local Congress councillors, picketed the municipal corporation's Zone-D office on Monday, protesting a decade of "indifferent" local governance and persistent sewage overflows.The demonstration, which blocked the main entrance to the Sarabha Nagar facility, left several visitors unable to access civic services as tensions flared over deteriorating living conditions in the locality.Area Under SiegeResidents claim they have been subjected to a "filthy smell and dirty environment" for more than 10 days, noting that while the area traditionally floods during the monsoon, the current stagnation has occurred without rain. "We are trapped inside our own houses," one protester said, adding that the persistent neglect has caused local property values to plummet.Fed up with years of unfulfilled political promises to cover the nearby drain and modernize the infrastructure, the group issued a stark ultimatum: a total boycott of future elections.Political EscalationThe protest took a more aggressive turn when Congress councillor Arun Sharma warned officials of direct action if immediate steps are not taken. Sharma stated that if the issue wasnot resolved, residents will return to dump raw silt from Dhoka Mohalla inside the MC office. "We will not run away after throwing silt, even if authorities register an FIR (first-information report) against us," he said.Official On HurdlesMC's zonal commissioner, Jasdev Sekhon, and joint commissioner Vineet Kumar met with the crowd to pacify the situation, promising a swift resolution. However, technical staff highlighted significant engineering challenges. About 200 cusecs of water is entering the Buddha Dariya from the canal. High water levels in the main drain are preventing local runoff, while recent bridge construction on the drain has complicated water flow.One MC official confirmed they have requested the irrigation department to reduce water releases into the drain to allow for emergency maintenance in Dhoka Mohalla. Superintending engineer Harpreet Singh confirmed that field teams had been dispatched to the area. "We will come out with a solution very shortly," he said.