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Ludhiana: Blocked drains leave key NH stretch inundated after rain
The storm drains along the national highway were overflowing with with polluted water, and the garbage collected in these drains got scattered on the water on the road.
A few hours of rains in the city left the main stretch of national highway from Dholewal Chowk through Sherpur Chowk to Dhandari railway station waterlogged on Friday due to the blocked drains that led to polluted water and garbage out on the road, making it difficult for the commuters to navigate the area.
Locals said that the water was so polluted that it emitted a foul smell from the water. The storm drains along the national highway were overflowing with with polluted water, and the garbage collected in these drains got scattered on the water on the road.
The city residents said that despite receiving repeated reminders and requests from the public, the municipal corporation has failed to address the issue to clean the drains. Additionally, the authorities responsible for the national highway have not taken necessary steps to clean the storm drains.
Naresh Kumar, a vendor who operates near the roadside, said that the sewerage manholes located outside the factories on the highway overflowed, creating problems for roadside vendors, shop owners, and commuters. He urged the authorities to conduct an investigation to determine the source of the polluted water and take immediate action to resolve the issue.
Another commuter, Kamlesh said that he works in one of the factories located on the national highway and it becomes challenging to reach there as water stagnates for long hours on the road. Kamlesh expressed concern over the critical situation, mentioning that multiple accidents have occurred near Sherpur Chowk due to waterlogging.
Sachkirat Singh, another commuter, said that he got stuck in the waterlogged area near Sherpur Chowk while heading towards Dhandari railway station due to a few hours of rain in the morning. The traffic congestion caused him a delay of 40 minutes.
Ravinder Garg, superintendent engineer of MC, said, “I will instruct our officials to thoroughly inspect the sewerage manholes and ensure they are cleaned. Additionally, we have already issued multiple notices to the factories along the national highway for discharging untreated water into the sewerage points. We will reissue these notices to the factories to address the matter.”
Ashok Kumar, the project director of NHAI, acknowledged the damages to the storm drains in various areas.
“We have devised a plan to design new drains with a proper outfall system, enabling water to be released at specific points. This plan aims to address the waterlogging issue and improve the drainage system along the National Highway,” he said.
