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Heavy rains cripple Ludhiana, low-lying areas flooded
Major roads like Ferozepur Road, Pakhowal Road, and Dugri Road also remained waterlogged, slowing down traffic movement; commuters complained of getting stuck in long jams while trying to navigate through the flooded stretches
Heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning caused waterlogging in several parts of the city, throwing life out of gear. Many low-lying areas were completely flooded, leading to traffic chaos and hardships for residents.
Several underpasses, including the one near Lodhi Club and another near Pakhowal road overbridge (ROB), turned into virtual ponds as rainwater accumulated within minutes. Many vehicles, especially cars and two-wheelers, were seen stuck in waist-deep water, leaving commuters stranded for hours.
Major roads like Ferozepur Road, Pakhowal Road, and Dugri Road also remained waterlogged, slowing down traffic movement. Commuters complained of getting stuck in long jams while trying to navigate through the flooded stretches.
“I was heading to my office but had to return back after seeing cars drowning near the Lodhi Club underpass. The authorities should not allow water to collect like this after every rainfall,” said Manpreet Singh, a resident of Sarabha Nagar.
In BRS Nagar, several internal streets remained submerged under rainwater for several hours. Residents said they tried contacting municipal corporation (MC) officials but no help was sent. “Even before the rain started, the drainage lines were choked. This shows the poor preparation of the civic body before monsoon,” said Priya Arora, a resident of Block-D.
The worst-hit were shopkeepers near low line areas where water entered into commercial establishments. “We suffered losses in lakhs due to water entering our shops. Every year we face the same issue but the MC remains silent,” said Ramesh Gupta, a local trader.
Locals also pointed out that the ongoing digging work in some areas worsened the problem as silt and garbage blocked drains. With more rainfall expected in the coming days, residents are demanding immediate desilting of drains and proper arrangements to avoid similar problems.
MC chief, police commissioner inspect works on Hambran Road
According to the officials, civic body staff/workers remained active in the field since early morning to drain out the rainwater at the earliest, police commissioner Swapan Sharma and MC commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal conducted joint inspection on Hambran Road to take stock of the situation on Tuesday.
The joint inspection was conducted to ensure early draining out of rainwater and smooth movement of traffic. Necessary directions were issued to expedite the work and the staffers were directed to ensure regular cleaning of road gullies/sewer lines. Chief engineer Ravinder Garg, executive engineer Ekjot Singh among other officials were also present during the field inspection.
The civic body officials stated that apart from the field staff, 19 jetting-cum-suction machines and suction tanks were also deployed across the city to clean sewer lines/road gullies. Further, cleaning/desilting of Buddha Dariya is also being carried out on a regular basis and the situation is being monitored by the officials on a regular basis. Civic body teams also kept vigil in low lying areas like Dhokka Mohalla, Kundanpuri, Upkar Nagar, Rani Jhansi road, etc, to ensure proper and early draining out of rainwater.
The two officials stated that the city witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday. However, the civic body staff remained vigilant to drain out rainwater at the earliest. Rainwater drained out from most of the areas within a short span of time.
CP Sharma and MC chief Dachalwal stated that regular efforts are being made to ensure proper disposal of rainwater and smooth flow of traffic across the city.
For ensuring safety and reducing the reaction time, the civic body has established a 24/7 flood control room at its Daresi sub-zone office. In case waterlogging is witnessed in their area, the residents can call at 0161-2749120 and civic body teams will reach at the spot for resolving the problem at the earliest.
Working on the directions of the MC chief, zonal commissioners of all the four zones of MC, among other senior officials also remained in the field to monitor the situation at ground level. The concerned staff of the civic body has also been directed to keep in touch with the councillors/public representatives so that the public should not face any trouble.
