Paris dream goes down the drain in Panchkula
With Panchkula’s population having grown manifold since it was planned, the city’s drainage system must be upgraded and nullahs need to be cleared of encroachments with political will and compliance of civic authorities
It was former chief minister and late Congress leader Bhajan Lal’s dream to transform Panchkula into Paris but over the years poor drainage and rampant encroachment on nullahs have ensured the town’s roads are inundated, resembling Venice’s waterways, even after a brief spell of rain.
This monsoon, waterlogging turned fatal as a three-year-old girl died after she fell into an open manhole on an inundated street in Sector 12-A. Besides, a wall at the Government Industrial Training Institute, Sector 14, collapsed, leaving five persons, including three children, injured. Weakened by flooding, the 20-year-old wall collapsed on a hutment on the adjoining vacant plot. In another incident, water entered the server room in the civil hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, affecting the compilation of medical reports and payment of fee for treatment. The hospital’s basement that houses its pharmacy store was also hit.
Left high and dry every monsoon as water enters houses in low-lying areas, residents have been seeking redressal, but the authorities have failed to come up with a solution. The House Owners Welfare Association (HOWA) of Sector 10 held municipal corporation officials responsible for the flooding and demanded a white paper on the expenditure on the cleaning of road and gullies by the MC. They also sought the construction of recharge wells in low-lying areas, but no action has been taken yet.
Requesting anonymity, a retired chief town planner of Haryana said, “The population of the city has grown manifold since it was planned, but the drainage system has not been upgraded. Making matters worse are the encroachments by builders on the route of the nullahs (seasonal rivulets) that the authorities have failed to check.”
Untamed flows the Ghaggar
The failure of successive governments to take measures to streamline the flow of the monsoon-fed Ghaggar river that cuts through the town often leads to widespread destruction not only in Panchkula but in areas downstream in Punjab and Haryana.
In April 2008, the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana decided to construct four dams on the river and its tributaries in view of the growing demand for water. The Kaushalya Dam in Pinjore was built after that. The proposal to build dams at Diwanwala, Dangrana and Chhamla did not see the light of day owing to Punjab’s objections as the river’s water is lifted for irrigation. A standing committee was constituted but nothing concrete emerged as Punjab and Haryana could not come to consensuses on water sharing.
On February 26, 1990, the Ghaggar Standing Committee was set up, but it had failed to come up with a workable plan to deal with floods in the seasonal river. Following a decision of the Supreme Court on November 15, 2022, Punjab submitted a detailed project report, envisaging ₹1,104.11 crore expenditure to tame the Ghaggar, to the Central Water Commission. However, the project did not get clearance from Haryana and Rajasthan. Punjab outlined a ₹259.03-crore plan separately for channelisation and widening the Ghaggar from Makror Sahib to Karail, but this project was not cleared by Haryana on the ground that it may result in excess discharge reaching Haryana areas downstream.
Residents speak
“There is an urgent need to upgrade the old storm water drainage system. Nullahs should be cleaned, and de-silting should be carried out to prevent waterlogging. Due to flooding of basements, several shop owners have been forced to relocate their stocks to their houses,” says Vijay Kumar, a shopkeeper in Sector 15, Panchkula.
“Sector 19 is located on the Punjab-Haryana border and was divided by a seasonal nullah at one time. With builders capturing and occupying the nullah in connivance with the authorities, the natural drainage of rainwater has been affected. The government needs to work in tandem to save residents suffering losses every year owing to water entering houses, says Kamlesh Lohat, president of the House Owners Welfare Association, Sector 19, Panchkula.
“For 30 years, residents of low-lying areas have been suffering. No corrective step has been taken. Recharge wells should be built in parks to save houses from flooding in the rains,” says Dinesh Gulati, a resident of Sector 10.
Candidates speak
“Work is on to upgrade the drainage system. Nullahs passing though Rajiv Colony and Indira Colony have been cleaned and encroachments will be checked. There is a Ghaggar riverfront development plan in place.”
Gian Chand Gupta, incumbent MLA and BJP candidate
“The drainage system will be strengthened to prevent flooding. Proper drainage from Sector 19 and other underpasses will be ensured. Rainwater harvesting will be promoted. All drains passing through the constituency will be concretised and covered and their surroundings beautified.
Chander Mohan, Congress candidate
“The stormwater drainage system is not equipped to deal with the demand of the growing population and results in waterlogging. It needs an overhaul. Responsibility must be fixed. Officials who failed to carry out their duties and get road gullies cleared should be held accountable.”
Prem Garg, Aam Aadmi Party candidate