Mohali: Waterlogging returns to Landran road as sewer work disrupts drainage

The stretch has become difficult to identify for motorists unfamiliar with the area, as water covers the road surface and makes potholes and uneven portions difficult to spot. Two-wheelers and pedestrians face additional difficulty while passing through the affected portion

Landran road, which had finally become easier to navigate after months of poor road conditions, is back to troubling commuters as water now covers a stretch of the newly repaired road, forcing vehicles to wade through it and leaving shopkeepers dealing with water outside their businesses.

A commuter using the road said the stretch becomes difficult to judge when covered with water. (HT File)

The stretch has become difficult to identify for motorists unfamiliar with the area, as water covers the road surface and makes potholes and uneven portions difficult to spot. Two-wheelers and pedestrians face additional difficulty while passing through the affected portion. A ground visit to the affected stretch found waterlogging extending for nearly 200 metres, with stagnant water covering portions of the road and spilling towards roadside shops.

For shopkeepers along the stretch, the waterlogging has created another problem after the road condition improved. A local wood trader said water entering the roadside portion makes it difficult to move timber and affects customers’ access to the shop. “We had just started seeing customers return after the road work. Now water has collected outside the shop, and bringing wood in and out has become difficult,” he added.

“I have been running my dhaba here for many years, and every year during the rains, the land behind my shop fills with water. The water remains there even when it has not rained for days. Two months ago, a mela was organised here, but the swings were also standing in water. I am losing customers because how will people come here when there is drain water outside the dhaba? There is also a risk of insects, and customers cannot find parking because of the water. All of this is affecting my business,” said Shekhar, a local dhaba owner.

Kharar EO said that the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB), which is executing sewerage work in the area, had plugged some underground sewer pipes temporarily as new pipelines and manholes were being installed. The blockages have restricted the flow of water through the underground network, causing it to spill into roadside drains and overflow onto the road. He further said it was using pumps to remove the accumulated water. According to officials, the overflow is currently limited to around a 50-metre stretch.

The pipeline installation work is expected to finish in about a week, after which the temporary plugs will be removed. It expects water to start flowing through the underground pipes by September 15.

Officials said the department is also connecting sewage lines from nearby areas, including Gillco, Royal Palace Road and Shivalik. They expect the entire work and the waterlogging problem to be resolved by the end of September. Officials said that the waterlogging is linked to the ongoing sewerage work and will ease once the new lines are connected and the temporary blockages are removed.