Ludhiana’s monsoon nightmare begins

With showers lashing the city for only a few hours, waterlogging brought life to a standstill in several areas. Commuters were left stranded, vehicles broke down, and streets resembled water channels

A man wading through knee-deep water under the newly built bridge near Chand Cinema on Tuesday morning, trying to push his half-submerged car to safety, became the defining image of how a few hours of rainfall exposed the Ludhiana municipal corporation’s (MC) hollow claims of monsoon preparedness.

A person wading through water after his car was partially submerged at a waterlogged area near Chandar Nagar in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

With showers lashing the city for only a few hours, waterlogging brought life to a standstill in several areas. Commuters were left stranded, vehicles broke down, and streets resembled water channels. The worst-hit areas included Shivpuri, Chandan Nagar, Focal Point, Chandigarh Road, Transport Nagar, Dholewal Chowk, Ferozepur Road, and Salem Tabri.

Road below the newly built bridge became a trap for commuters as an SUV stuck mid-way and water rising above its wheels. Eyewitnesses said the car driver tried for nearly half an hour to pull his vehicle out while others helped clear the way.

“This bridge was opened amid much fanfare recently and the road below the bridge is totally blocked as a few hours of rain cause problems for commuters. The water reached the windows of the car. Anyone could have been trapped,” said Paramjit Singh, a local resident who captured the video of the stranded vehicle.

In several low-lying colonies, water entered houses and shops. “Every monsoon, we are told drains have been cleaned, but waterlogging tells a different story. It’s the same misery every year,” said Rajinder Kumar of Ranjit Nagar.

Sukhdeep Kaur from Shivpuri added, “In just two hours of rain, drains started overflowing. It’s dangerous for children, elders, and motorists. The authorities only act after tragedies.”

The situation at industrial hubs like Focal Point and Transport Nagar was no better. Trucks were stuck, and workers were seen diverting water away from entrances using sticks and makeshift barriers.

Despite several complaints to the MC control room, residents alleged there was no immediate response on the ground. No senior MC officer visited the waterlogged areas till late in the day.

An MC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted, “Much of the city’s drainage system is outdated. Desilting is carried out, but only temporarily. The problem requires a larger, long-term upgrade.”

With the monsoon season just beginning, residents fear more such incidents unless immediate corrective steps are taken. The incident at Chand Cinema underpass has not only raised safety concerns but also put a big question mark on the civic body’s preparedness.

Ravinder Garg, chief officer O&M cell said, “Teams have been dispatched during morning hours and till evening water has been cleared majority in low line areas.”