Even as the government has started work on the ambitious radial road project aimed at beautifying roads leading to the Golden Temple, commuters and pilgrims continue to face unhygienic conditions on several key stretches connecting the shrine with the walled city.One such stretch is Mahana Singh Road, which links the Golden Temple with Sultanwind Gate through Kahian Wala Bazaar. Despite being one of the busiest routes used daily by thousands of pilgrims and local residents, the area is plagued by heaps of debris, overflowing open drains, sewer overflow and foul smell. Residents allege that irregular lifting of garbage and poor maintenance of civic infrastructure have turned the road into an eyesore.Locals said the condition of these roads leaves a poor impression on visitors arriving from outside the city. They stressed that the roads leading to the Golden Temple require special attention in terms of sanitation and upkeep due to their religious and tourism significance.Resident Ramesh Kumar said the biggest issue was the open drains running along the road. “The drains frequently overflow and dirty water spills onto the road. A foul smell persists throughout the day, causing inconvenience to shopkeepers, residents and pilgrims,” he said.Another resident, Davinder Singh, blamed unregulated construction activity in the narrow lanes for worsening the situation. He alleged that hundreds of hotels had come up illegally in the area after old residential buildings were demolished. “The debris from demolished houses is often dumped on the roadside. Illegal construction and unchecked expansion of hotels, allegedly with official and political patronage, have burdened the sewerage system beyond capacity,” he claimed.According to residents, sewer overflow has become a routine problem in the locality, especially during peak tourist days and rainy weather, resulting in waterlogging on roads leading to the Golden Temple. Pilgrims walking towards the shrine are often forced to navigate through dirty water and garbage-strewn streets.