Punjab: From sewage crisis to broken roads, the city is grappling with several civic issues

Punjab: Despite being a religiously important town, Goindwal Sahib is facing several civic problems. The town’s dirty water is being discharged into the Beas river. Apparently, neither the administration nor the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has bothered to address the problem of improper disposal of sewage. The situation has become serious as the water of Baoli Sahib is getting polluted, in which hundreds of devotees take a holy dip every day. Harpinder Singh Gill, a resident of the town, said the administration and residents should take steps to address the issue.
The state government had attempted to install a sewerage system in the town 13 years ago. However, the project is incomplete despite crores being spent. Besides, the government has released crores of rupees to install a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the town. In the current situation, when the sewerage system has not been installed, the STP will be of no use. The roads of the town, especially those in the industrial complex, are in a bad condition. Locals, especially entrepreneurs of the industrial complex, are upset that the city’s railway station is located at Jhandar village, 7 km away from Goindwal Sahib. They said that they have no business with the railway station located “far away”.