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Patiala:Memories of ’23 floods fresh, residents seek high ground
Residents in many areas have moved their valuables and furniture to rooftops, while some have constructed walls to keep flood water at bay
With the memories of last year’s floods still fresh, the residents of many areas in Patiala have started taking precautionary measures.
Residents of Choti Arai Majra, Gopal Colony, Chinar Bagh and Urban Estate, who were worst affected by flood fury, don’t want to take any chances this year. Many have moved their furniture and other valuable items to the rooftops covered in tarpaulin while others have made an extra brick wall to stop flood water from entering their houses. In some cases, residents have put their furniture and belongings on iron stands, nearly three feet above the ground, in their rooms.
Some of the residents, it’s learnt, have parked their vehicles at safer places.
Kamaljeet Kaur, a resident of Choti Arai Majra, said, “Memories of last year’s flood are still afresh. We are daily wagers, therefore, can’t afford losses this year. We have already packed our stuff and moved it to the roof as last year our house was under 7-9 feet of water. Last year, we didn’t get time to make arrangements, but this time we are taking precautions.”
It is pertinent to mention that Badi Nadi, last year, had wreaked havoc during the monsoon season flooding the residential areas near its embankments. The Army had to be called in to rescue the people.
In the posh Urban Estate Area, residents have erected extra brick walls outside their doors to stop flood water. A former Punjab cadre IAS officer and resident of the Urban Estate area, Manjit Narang, has erected a 4-foot brick wall inside his house.
“I had faced losses worth lakhs during the floods, last year. Going by the level of preparedness of the government to stop floods, I thought I should take precautions at my level only,” he said.
Another resident of the Urban Estate area, Amarjit Singh Waraich, has adopted a unique measure. Waraich purchased 3-foot iron stands to lift his wooden furniture above the ground. “The government was in a slumber till the last week when monsoon arrived in the state. The government has started cleaning rain rivulets but I don’t trust their words and assurances regarding flood preparedness. I have taken precautions to avoid financial losses.”
Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh, who is an MLA from the Patiala rural assembly segment, said, “The government has already taken precautions to tackle floods. Embankments of the rain rivulets have already been strengthened, and have been cleaned. We will ensure that there will be no floods, this year.”
Heavy rain causes waterlogging in Patiala
Several areas in Patiala experienced waterlogging after 56 mm of rain lashed the city on Saturday morning. Areas near Nabha gate, Raghu Majra, New Mohindra colony, Urban Estate Phase 2, Baba Deep Singh Nagar, Books market, Chandini Chowk area, and some areas of Tripuri were worst hit by waterlogging. As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Patiala received the heaviest rainfall on Saturday.
