In Punjab’s Mansa, stink from overflowing sewage set to sting Lok Sabha candidates as residents seek permanent solution

Speaking to The Indian Express, Gurlabh Singh Mahal, an advocate who lives in the area, said, “Candidates are campaigning on issues related to the Lok Sabha elections, but the main problems here are overflowing sewage and poor road conditions. The situation in Mansa shows how hollow the claims of development by the different political parties are.”

Mahal added, “We invite the candidates to campaign amid overflowing sewage. They too should get a true picture of the development they claim.”

Mansa falls under the Bathinda parliamentary constituency where Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Badal, AAP’s Gurmeet Singh Khudian, the BJP’s Parampal Kaur Sidhu and Congress’s Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu are the main candidates.

Addressing the issue, sitting Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said,” I have spent Rs 40 cr on Mansa city sewerage system in the past. But for the past 7 years both the Congress and AAP governments did not spend a penny. Under such conditions how will it be maintained ? The Congress and AAP have run to the ground not just the state but even the development done by the SAD.”

What is the problem in Mansa

Mansa’s sewage treatment plant (STP) has a capacity to treat 14 million litre per day (MLD) of sewage and most of the treated water is then used for agricultural purposes. However, the problem occurs when farmers don’t require this water during the harvest seasons.

“In April-May, during wheat harvest and from October-December, during paddy harvest and wheat sowing, minimal water is required. At this time, water overflows onto the lanes of Mansa city,” said Mahal.

Balkaran Singh Balli, another advocate who stays in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar of Mansa, said, “When farmers don’t need water for irrigation, the STP stops treating water and a foul smelling water overflows onto the lanes. Sometimes, the sewage dries up and sometimes a temporary solution is found by throwing the dried sewage in vacant plots by digging pits. But this is not a permanent solution. Even during the election season, the government is undeterred and is making development a poll plank.”

The way out

There is a proposal for the Talwandi Sabo thermal power in Mansa’s Banawali village to use the water treated by the STP to resolve the issue permanently. In April last year, the Union Power Ministry had even notified that coal-fired electricity plants must use treated water from STPs located within a 50-km radius.

“The Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant should follow the instructions but they are not doing so. The reason is that the thermal power plant will have to pick water from the STP at their own cost while now, it is drawing fresh water from the Kotla branch canal,” said Ruldu Singh Mansa, the president of the Punjab Kisan Union and a national coordination committee member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM).

Ruldu Singh Mansa, who is a resident of Mansa, added that the SKM will soon start an agitation on the issue.

A project worth Rs 60 crore was planned two years ago wherein, a pipeline from the STP to the thermal plant was to be laid. However, the project hasn’t seen the light of day till now. (Express Photo)

In wait for permanent solution, a temporary measure

A project worth Rs 60 crore was planned two years ago wherein, a pipeline from the STP to the thermal plant was to be laid. However, the project hasn’t seen the light of day till now.

Mahal said, “The only solution with the municipal council in Mansa now is to divert water to a vacant land of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University. The work started on Saturday with the authorities digging up a few pits in the land.”

He added, “The land, meant for educational purposes, will be used for dumping sewage water and yet, the thermal power plant will not be told to use the treated water.”

Kaka Singh Matharu, a resident of the 33 Feet Road said, “Back in 2015-16, some project had been planned to divert the treated water of the city towards Sardulgarh, but the then government never started that project and we never heard of it again.”

Matharu added, “In 2017, we elected the then AAP MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia who had switched over to the Congress in April 2019 and later, we elected AAP’s Dr Vijay Singla in 2022 who was arrested in a corruption case in May 2022. Though he came out on bail in July 2022, our area was hardly given any importance by the state government.”

What the administration said

The management of the sewage pipes and the STP lies with the municipal council. However, when The Indian Express contacted Mansa Deputy Commissioner Paramvir Singh, he said, “The sewerage board and the municipal council are handling the management of the STP. To further tackle the issue, the district administration has coordinated with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University to utilise their 50 acre vacant land.”

He added, “In the months when the farmers are not in need of the treated water, it can be diverted to the vacant land and work towards it has already started. Regarding usage of water by the thermal power plant, we will make a fresh proposal on the issue and send it to the government.”