Mohali: Frustrated by months of sewerage overflow and alleged official inaction, residents of Swaraj Nagar in Kharar Thursday staged a protest and threatened to carry urns filled with sewage water to the SDM office if the problem is not resolved immediately.Residents alleged that sewage has been stagnating on streets and outside houses for the past four to five months, posing serious health risks and raising fears of a water-borne disease outbreak during the monsoon.Protesters said repeated complaints and memorandums submitted to the authorities had failed to yield a permanent solution.“We have been living with overflowing sewage for months. The dirty water remains outside our homes for days and there is a constant fear of diseases spreading, especially during the monsoon. Despite repeated complaints, the authorities have only been giving us fresh deadlines,” said Ravinder Singh Khera, SAD Kharar in-charge.To highlight their plight, residents said they would collect sewage water from the affected locality, fill urns with it and march to the SDM office so officials could witness the conditions they have been forced to endure.The protesters claimed they had earlier given the administration an ultimatum to resolve the issue, but no concrete action followed. Instead, officials allegedly kept seeking more time without addressing the root cause of the problem.Residents demanded immediate repair and upgradation of the sewerage system and action against those responsible for the prolonged delay.Warning of intensified protests, they said a stronger agitation would be launched if the issue remained unresolved. They maintained that while funds may be sanctioned for civic works, it is the administration’s responsibility to ensure timely execution and safeguard public health.
