Residents of Balongi blocked the Balongi-Mohali main road on Friday to protest against the disruption of regular drinking water supply in the area for several months, alleging that they had been forced to use contaminated water and were facing an increased risk of water-borne diseases.
A large number of residents gathered on the main road and staged a protest, demanding that the administration ensure a clean and uninterrupted water supply. The protesters held discussions with the SDM following which BJP district president Sanjeev Vashisht reached the spot. The sarpanch, who had been responsible for water distribution, assured residents that efforts would be made to ensure that such disruption did not recur. The residents warned that they would resume peaceful protests if the supply was disrupted again. The BJP has also urged the administration to ensure a permanent solution to the drinking water problem and clearly define responsibility between the MC and the panchayat.
Mohali mayor Sarabjeet Singh Samana said the water supply issue would be resolved within 10-15 days, as the MC was in the process of taking over the area from the sarpanch.
The residents said that although Balongi falls under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation (MC), the civic body had not yet taken over the water supply and distribution system, which was earlier managed by the village panchayat. He said the civic body had also planned two new borewells for Balongi and the tender for the works would be floated soon.
