Residents of Nabha have raised serious concerns over inadequate desilting of drains ahead of the monsoon season, accusing officials of ignoring repeated complaints. Several residents have taken to social media to upload videos showing clogged drains and have lodged multiple complaints with the Patiala deputy commissioner. One video captures an argument between local residents and the contractor responsible for the desilting work.
Residents Approach Deputy Commissioner
On Tuesday, residents of Ward 13 once again approached the deputy commissioner, demanding action against the officials involved. Advocate Reetiqbal Singh from Ward 7 stated that he had submitted a complaint on June 10 but observed no improvement. He claimed that parts of the drain along Cinema Road remained uncleared despite assurances.
Specific Allegations
Naresh Sharma, a resident of Ward 13, alleged that several stretches claimed to have been cleaned were still choked with silt. Other residents, including Nirmal Singh and Aman Bansal, warned that even moderate rainfall could lead to waterlogging if the drain from Jatta Wala Baas to Chhajju Bhatt was not desilted properly.
Municipal Council Response
Municipal council sources revealed that desilting of three main drains is being carried out at a cost of approximately Rs 8.5 lakh. Cleaning of the drain from Munna Lal Kanda to Chhajju Bhatt has been approved separately at an estimated cost of Rs 10 lakh. Officials stated that contract-based desilting has been reduced this year, and several drains will be cleaned by municipal staff. However, residents claimed that work on these drains has not yet begun.
Official Assurance
After the complaints, Nabha Assistant Municipal Engineer Amit Kumar Dureja visited the sites and assured residents that desilting would be completed soon. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) A P S Somal said the municipal executive officer would be asked to address the issue. Executive Officer Gurcharan Singh added that the junior engineer concerned would be directed to monitor the work more closely.
Residents remain skeptical and continue to demand immediate action to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon.
