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Alarming rise in water level of Buddha Nullah; fence collapses
The fencing along the nullah had been installed to stop the residents from throwing domestic waste into the nullah
: Municipal corporation (MC) officials were left red-faced after the chain-link fencing established along the Buddha Nullah was uprooted and fell into the water body. As the land under the fencing sank, 10 units of fencing fell into the water body.
Executive engineer (building and roads), Zone D, Balwinder Singh said the MC officials have reached the spot and have started the repair works. He said that fences fell into the nullah as the land along the nullah sank due to the rains.
The fencing along the nullah had been installed to stop the residents from throwing domestic waste into the nullah. The MC had started the project at a cost of ₹13.34 crore and December 2022 was set as the initial deadline for the completion of the project However, it still remains incomplete with several loopholes.
Alarming rise in water level
Two days after around 100 shanties were marooned in water leaving those residing in them homeless as water overflowed from the Buddha Nullah near the Ludhiana Central Jail on Tajpur road, the level of the nullah again rose to an alarming level on Saturday.
As the water from upstream districts is also released into the waterbody, the residents are forced to live in fear of overflowing.
Pawan Kumar, a resident of Kundan Puri, said, “The authorities have swung into action after the nullah overflowed from two different areas - Vivek Nagar and Chander Nagar - in the inner part of the city. The authorities had months to prepare for the situation yet nothing was done.”
He added that as the land along the nullah is wearing, the situation has become worrisome.
Rains leave city roads inundated
Incessant rain throughout the day on Saturday inundated city roads and low-lying areas bringing the normal life of the city residents to a standstill. As the roads were already lying waterlogged due to heavy rains on Wednesday, Friday’s rains exacerbated the woes of city residents.
The arterial roads including Old GT Road, Chandigarh Road, Pakhowal Road, Ferozepur Road Ghumar Mandi, Mall Road, Link Road between Samrala Chowk to Bus stand, Dugri Road, old GT Road, Mall Road, Transport Nagar Road, Hambran Road, Atam Nagar, Dholewal Chowk and Gill road were flooded with sewer and rainwater. The life of city residents came to a halt.
Traffic movement at the underpasses along the Sidhwan Canal at the Ferozepur road was blocked and water accumulated at other underpasses, including the Pakhowal RUB and Lodhi Club underpass, in the absence of a functional drainage system.
