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Rain throws life out of gear, Ludhiana’s crumbling infrastructure exposed
The showers, which began on Thursday night and continued intermittently on Friday, offered temporary respite from the heat
Residents welcomed the long-awaited rainfall, which brought cooler temperatures and cleaner air, but relief quickly gave way to chaos as waterlogged streets and damaged roads disrupted the city. Vehicles were stranded on pothole-ridden stretches, including dug-up portions of the NHAI road, while low-lying areas flooded and ongoing construction worsened traffic snarls, exposing the city’s fragile drainage and road infrastructure.
The showers, which began on Thursday night and continued intermittently on Friday, offered temporary respite from the heat. However, water accumulated rapidly on roads already weakened by potholes and pipeline works, slowing traffic and creating hazards for motorists. On the Jalandhar bypass, vehicles were trapped in dug-up stretches where NHAI construction is underway, while portions of Barewal Road caved in, leaving two cars stuck and forcing commuters to take long detours. Similar scenes unfolded in Sarabha Nagar, Baddowal Road, Pakhowal Road, and Jassian Road, where unfilled trenches from Municipal Corporation (MC) pipeline works caused disruptions.
The rain also raised the water level of Buddha Nullah, particularly affecting low-lying localities. Residents of Dhoka Mohalla and Dharampura reported that overflowing seasonal drains allowed water to enter streets and homes. Locals alleged that ongoing bridge and retaining wall construction obstructed natural water flow. Silt removed from Buddha Nullah as part of the rejuvenation drive was left piled along the drain, reducing its width. During the rain, loose earth washed back into the drain, worsening waterlogging.
Rajya Sabha member Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal had earlier urged civic authorities to ensure timely silt removal.
Incidents across the city were widely reported on social media. In Basti Jodhewal, two cars were submerged in floodwater, while near Chand Cinema bridge, a vehicle was partially trapped, prompting a temporary road closure using a water tanker. On Chandigarh Road near Jamalpur, deep potholes filled with rainwater brought traffic to a halt.
Residents expressed frustration over recurring problems. Rakesh Verma of Haibowal said that revised early school timings combined with waterlogged roads created chaos for parents. Another commuter on Chandigarh Road said overflowing sewer lines had displaced manhole covers, posing serious risks in low visibility.
Following complaints, civic body teams cleared temporary blockages near Buddha Nullah to facilitate water flow.
MLA Ashok Parashar visited affected areas with senior officials, supervising pumping operations near Shingar Cinema Road and Madhopuri.
Zonal commissioner Neeraj Jain said he had visited multiple locations and that water accumulation problems were largely resolved by evening, with teams deployed to manage remaining issues.
Despite these measures, widespread disruption in Haibowal, Hambran Road, Model Town, Ghumar Mandi, Shastri Nagar, Janakpuri, Dholewal, Pratap Chowk, Barewal, Chandigarh Road, Sherpur Chowk, Samrala Chowk, Rahon Road, Clock Tower and Dugri once again highlighted the city’s unpreparedness and vulnerability during heavy rainfall.
City records 54mm rain, temp dips
Ludhiana The city was swept by stronger showers early on Friday as the IMD recorded 21 mm of rainfall till 8.30am. Strong spells of showers continued throughout the day.
From 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, the city had already received 33 mm of rain, taking the total amount of rainfall since midnight to 54 mm.
The maximum temperature on Friday fell to 13.2 degrees Celsius, 10.8 degrees less than on Thursday and 5.2 degrees below normal.
According to IMD, rain is not expected to continue and the weather is expected to stay foggy for the next two days. A yellow alert for fog has also been issued for January 24-25. The weather is forecast to turn rainy again on January 27 and 28.
Suredner Paul,director,IMD, Chandigarh centre, said, “The weather will clear up tomorrow. But it is expected to rain later on 27-28 January.
Power outages reported due to rain
The first outage in the city was reported around 3 to 3,30 am, almost as soon as it started raining,officials said. Power distribution was affected in a total of six substations, they added. The supply at the 66 KV substation in South City and Transport Nagar was still off till evening. The supply at the 66 KV substation, Haibowal, Millerganj and GT road was restored by the afternoon. The supply at the 66 KV substation, Basant park was restored by 9 am.Till evening, the PSPCL had received 14,857 complaints over outages and faults.
