The ‘Bolega Kharar, Badlega Kharar’ foot march, led by Shiromani Akali Dal's Kharar constituency in-charge Ravinder Singh Kheda, entered its fifth day on Thursday, during which residents directly raised concerns over sewerage overflow and the hardships caused by waterlogging during the rainy season.
The march began from Ward No. 5, Willow Homes (Dashmesh Nagar), and passed through Gurdwara Sahib, Jhuggian Road, Green Avenue, Swaraj Nagar and Mata Gujri Sunny Enclave Chowk before concluding in Ward No. 6 later in the evening.
Addressing the gathering, Kheda said the march was launched to hold the government accountable for the civic problems faced by the people of the Kharar constituency. He alleged that despite the Municipal Council having crores of rupees in its treasury, not a single rupee had been spent on development works.
Kheda said the march through Wards 5 and 6 exposed the harsh reality faced by residents daily. In Ward No. 5, residents complained about overflowing sewerage, stating that open drains had become a serious threat to public safety.
In Ward No. 6, Kheda said residents expressed regret over voting for the AAP government, alleging that their ward had turned into a "living hell" after the party came to power. Residents highlighted the issue of an overflowing drain that spills over even during light rainfall, causing water to enter nearly 80 percent of the houses in the ward. Kheda blamed the present councillor for the negligence.
He further claimed that residents told him such problems never existed before 2023, but conditions deteriorated soon after the AAP government assumed office. He alleged that while Punjab's debt had increased rapidly, no meaningful expenditure had been made on development. According to him, the crisis was caused by the administration's failure to clean sewerage drains.
Kheda said the foot march was initiated to bring people's real issues to the forefront, and residents were now voluntarily coming forward to register their grievances. He added that the march would continue in the coming days to amplify the voice of the people and make the government answerable for its alleged neglect. He also announced that the campaign would cover more wards of the constituency and continue holding the AAP government responsible for the city's deteriorating civic infrastructure.