Ludhiana: Municipal commissioner Ojasvi Alankar conducted morning inspections across various Focal Point industrial pockets on Friday to tackle major hygiene and sanitation issues, prompting criticism from the opposition over a lack of public engagement.The inspections covered Jeevan Nagar Road, Sanatan Dharam Mandir Road, Phase 5, and Chandigarh Road, among other areas. Following the visit, the commissioner issued strict directives to field staff to expedite the desilting of sewer lines and ensure no manhole covers are missing or broken. To prevent waterlogging during the upcoming monsoon, he also ordered the regular cleaning of road gullies.Taking a dig at the visit, Congress councillor from Ward 26, Gaurav Bhatti, urged the commissioner to seek real-time updates rather than relying on orchestrated visits. While acknowledging personal inspections as a good initiative, Bhatti claimed the visit ended without any true understanding of ground realities because neither local residents nor the area councillor were consulted.The councillor highlighted that residents of LIG Colony and Vishwakarma Colony face severe sewerage failures and lack basic civic amenities. He stated that if only formal inspections are conducted without addressing these core issues, the public will not receive any real benefits.Meanwhile, the MC commissioner appealed to residents to support the civic body by halting the open dumping of waste. He noted that garbage thrown in the open blocks sewer lines and road gullies, which ultimately triggers widespread waterlogging during rainy periods.
