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Ludhiana: Ferozepur Road underpasses submerged after downpour
PWD executive engineer Pradeep Kumar said storage tanks exist beneath the underpasses to hold rainwater, but the system is overwhelmed due to the absence of sheds on the open sides
Heavy rain on Monday left two underpasses near the Verka milk plant on Ferozepur Road waterlogged, once again disrupting traffic and troubling the commuters. Due to this, commuters had to use intersections, leading to congestion on the road.
The problem, residents say, has become routine. “I have been commuting on this road for years and every monsoon it’s the same story here. Other underpasses in the area manage better, but this one suffers because it lacks a proper drainage system,” said Gurpreet Singh, a regular commuter.
Unlike the other city underpasses maintained by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation, these fall under the jurisdiction of the public works department (PWD). PWD executive engineer Pradeep Kumar said storage tanks exist beneath the underpasses to hold rainwater, but the system is overwhelmed due to the absence of sheds on the open sides. “We use pumps to clear the water, but there is no nearby point to dispose of it, which worsens the situation. Sheds are being planned to reduce water inflow so that the tanks can function efficiently,” he said.
The city has been lashed by intense showers since Sunday. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ludhiana recorded 79.4 mm of rain between 8:30 am on Sunday and 8:30 am on Monday, followed by 7.2 mm till 4:30 pm on Monday. A red alert for heavy to very heavy rain with thunderstorms was issued for the district.
The IMD’s Chandigarh centre, in a press release, mentioned, “The current spell of widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Punjab during the next 36-48 hours and reduce thereafter. Light to moderate rain is likely at most places on 25th and 26th, at few places on 27th and 28th and at many places thereafter,” it said, adding, “Heavy rainfall (7cm or more) is likely from 25th to 27th and 29th to 30th at isolated places over Punjab.”
The showers on Monday have pushed Ludhiana’s total rainfall for August to 178 mm so far. This is still below the normal for the month, which stands at 190.3 mm. Last year, the city recorded 239.9 mm in August.
This year’s monsoon season has been notably wetter for Ludhiana compared to previous years. The city recorded a substantial 311.9 mm of rain in July, more than double than what it received during the same month last year. June also saw significant rainfall, with 131.1 mm, marking the highest June rainfall since 2013.
Overall, the city has now received 429 mm of rain this monsoon season (June to September). The Punjab Agricultural University’s (PAU) department of climate change and agricultural meteorology measures the normal monsoon rainfall at 599.7 mm. Last year, the city recorded a total of 524.7 mm for the entire season. The IMD expects this season’s total rainfall to be around normal.
