Four hours of heavy rain in the early hours of Tuesday brought large parts of Patiala to a standstill, inundating residential localities, damaging vehicles and exposing the city’s poor stormwater drainage system.
The city recorded 143 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am, according to Surender Paul, director, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh.
The IMD has also issued a statewide yellow alert for Punjab for Wednesday and Thursday.
“Punjab is likely to continue witnessing wet weather over the next 48 hours, with light to moderate rainfall at many places across the state on Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places, raising the possibility of waterlogging in low-lying areas and traffic disruptions, particularly after Tuesday’s intense downpour,” the IMD release said.
Among the worst-hit areas were Bishan Nagar, Urban Estate Phase I, Hargobind Nagar, Khalsa Mohalla, Raghu Majra and parts of Model Town where localities and roads were submerged under knee-deep water. Rainwater entered houses in low-lying areas, while several parked vehicles remained submerged for hours, raising fears of extensive damage.
Residents said water began accumulating shortly after midnight and continued to rise as stormwater drains failed to cope with the downpour. Several roads across the city were impassable, disrupting traffic and leaving commuters stranded.
{{/usCountry}}Residents said water began accumulating shortly after midnight and continued to rise as stormwater drains failed to cope with the downpour. Several roads across the city were impassable, disrupting traffic and leaving commuters stranded.
{{/usCountry}}In many localities, residents had to wade through knee-deep water to move their belongings to safer places.
Residents blamed the municipal corporation and the Patiala Urban Planning and Development Authority (PDA), alleging that drains had not been desilted before the monsoon despite repeated assurances.
“We have been raising the issue of blocked drains for weeks, but no preventive measures were taken. Within a few hours of rain, water entered our house and damaged furniture and household items,” said Avtar Singh, a resident of Urban Estate Phase I.
Avrinder Singh of Hargobind Nagar said the locality resembled a lake after the rainfall. “Water entered almost every house in our lane. Despite repeated complaints over the years, no permanent solution has been provided,” he said.
Kulwinder Singh of Raghu Majra said residents face the same ordeal every monsoon. “The authorities wake up only after the damage has been done. Drains remain choked, and rainwater has nowhere to go. Many parked vehicles were also damaged after remaining submerged for hours,” he said.
Residents demanded immediate desilting of drains, repairs to the city’s stormwater drainage network and identification of chronic waterlogging points before the next spell of rain. They also sought compensation for damage to houses and vehicles, alleging that civic agencies failed to undertake adequate pre-monsoon measures.
Patiala municipal corporation commissioner Pooja Grewal said civic teams were working to drain out accumulated rainwater. “Water has already receded from many areas that were submerged in the morning. The Jacob Drain, which carries rainwater from the city, had developed some issues. We have deployed poclain machines to clear the drain. If waterlogging persists in any area till the evening, we will assess the situation, identify the cause and take corrective measures at the earliest,” Grewal said.
PDA chief administrator Aparna could not be reached for comment despite repeated calls and messages.