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Narrow drains flowing out to silty choes behind Chandigarh’s waterlogging mess
Its narrow drainage system designed to handle a maximum of 15 to 25 mm of rain per hour, depending on the area, Chandigarh braved 110.3 mm rain in just two hours between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm on Sunday
As 158.5 mm rain poured on Sunday, Chandigarh was just not ready to deal with the excessive rainwater, resulting in widespread waterlogging across the city.
Its narrow drainage system designed to handle a maximum of 15 to 25 mm of rain per hour, depending on the area, the city braved 110.3 mm rain in just two hours between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm.
Worse, even the three natural streams of Chandigarh, Sukhna Choe, N-choe and Patiala Ki Rao, where the city’s stormwater system drains out, remain clogged with silt well into monsoon, further reducing the system’s efficiency to battle large amounts of rainwater.
The result: Not only were main roads inundated in various parts of the city, rainwater mixed with sewage even entered houses, further compounding residents’ troubles.
Due to the ill-equipped drainage system, the low-lying areas of the city get flooded every time rainfall exceeds 40 mm per hour.
“The road gullies have been cleaned multiple times, but the city’s drainage infrastructure can never handle 158 mm rainfall. Further, waterlogging is witnessed when stormwater drainage pipes cannot flow water to silt-laden and narrow choes, which are already overflowing,” said MC commissioner Anindita Mitra.
MC officials said the civic body had written to the UT administration multiple times to ensure de-silting of choes before monsoon season, along with widening and deepening to increase their capacity, but to no avail.
Amid the official apathy, residents remain at the receiving end each monsoon. Kritika Mehra, a resident of Sector 43, said, “The southern sectors are always the worst hit. Yet, officials do not bother to complete civic works before monsoon. The entire stretch from Sector 43 to sector 44 has been dug up, causing waterlogging and posing significant danger to commuters.”
“Year after year, the situation remains the same on the ground, with the same places getting flooded and sewage mixed with water entering houses and shops in each sector. Authorities claim to have taken action, but residents never see any improvement on the ground. The choes should be made wider so that rainwater can flow easily, and both choes and road gullies should be cleaned regularly,” said Hitesh Puri, president, CRAWFED.
Mohali sailing in same boat as Chandigarh
Planned on Chandigarh’s pattern, the stormwater system even in Mohali can handle no more than 25 mm rain per hour, leading to similar waterlogging nightmare following Sunday’s showers.
Low-lying areas, including Phases 4, 5 and 11 were the worst-affected, where rainwater even entered houses, leaving residents’ struggling to save their household belongings.
Even after 1,200 houses in Phase 11 got affected due to the monsoon fury last year, causing significant losses to residents, civic authorities failed to equip the city with an effective drainage system.
Agitated by the inaction even after knocking at the doors of Punjab CM’s office, the residents on Sunday blocked the main road, raising slogans against the government.
“Many people had to sleep in their cars after overflowing rainwater mixed with sewage entered our houses last year. Several furniture articles and electrical appliances got damaged. The horror returned following the rain on Sunday and my whole family laboured to drain the water out,” rued Hardev Singh, a resident of Phase 11.
In Phase 4, residents complained they had sent 10 complaints to the authorities in the past two years, but monsoon continues to haunt them.
NS Kalsi, chairman of HM Houses Welfare Association, said he was forced to construct a brick wall to stop rainwater from entering his office and house. “We have been suffering for the past 15 years as the main road’s level has gone up from the sector’s roads. My furniture was damaged again after Sunday’s rain. But despite several pleas, authorities continue to remain in slumber,” complained Kalsi.
Mohali mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu said a Noida-based firm had recently conducted a survey of the city’s drainage system. “As per their suggestions, new pipes will have to be installed, which will cost around ₹100 crore to accommodate large amounts of rainwater to avoid waterlogging. We have shared the report with the state government for approval and funds.”
A senior Mohali MC officer said due to changing rainfall pattern, there was a need to amplify the drainage system across the city. “MC’s finance and contract committee last year had passed a ₹2-crore budget for Phase 11 to install new drain pipes from Phase 11 petrol pump till Golf Range. The file is yet to be cleared by the public health department’s chief engineer. Once these pipes are installed, rainwater will be effectively drained and won’t enter houses,” the officer added.
(By Nikhil Sharma)
Blocked road gullies drown Panchkula
The incessant rain on Sunday also exposed civic authorities’ lack of planning in the planned city of Panchkula.
Harried by the waterlogging chaos, residents accused the municipal corporation and the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) of failing to clean road gullies ahead of monsoon, leaving the city inundated.
In a letter addressed to chief engineer PMDA, the Panchkula Vikas Manch had pointed out that PMDA recently allotted a ₹16-lakh tender for cleaning stormwater pipes and installing drain covers.
Similarly, another tender of ₹20 lakh was awarded for cleaning the nullah that passes through Panchkula. “The tenders were allotted, but the rain on Sunday washed away all the claims of authorities. Nothing has been done on the ground. To save the public money from being wasted, these tenders should kept at abeyance,” said Rakesh Aggarwal of Panchkula Vikas Manch.
“We have been filing complaints, but to no avail. Strong action should be taken against the officials responsible for causing inconvenience to residents,” said the manch’s letter while seeking videography of the civic works for monsoon preparedness.
Similar to Chandigarh and Mohali, several Panchkula residents also helplessly tried to keep rainwater out from houses, shops, and even hospitals and banks.
On Sunday, rainwater entered the server room at the civil hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, leading to a snag in the e-upchaar portal. Consequently, patients could not get X-ray and blood test reports, and could not deposit fee for treatment.
In Sector 15, rainwater flooded the basement of a bank that houses lockers. On Monday morning, pumps were deployed to flush out the water. “Several shops’ basements were inundated with rainwater. We had to relocate the salvaged stocks to our homes,” said Vijay, a shopkeeper in the sector.
Dr Devinder Chopra of Sector 10 said, “Water entered houses this year too, damaging residents’ household belongings. We have been raising the issue with MC officials as well as local councillor, but they have failed to act.”
Even the Sector 19 underpass was flooded. Congress leader Manish Bansal said, “The underpass has been lying closed for the last two days. Civic authorities’ failure to clean road gullies and drains has led to widespread misery.”
Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal claimed the road gullies had been cleaned. But the drains could not handle the sudden heavy showers. The water receded within an hour after it stopped raining, he said.
(By Shailee Dogra)
