J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

City inundated with rainwater but no water to drink
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, July 10
The senior officers of the district administration and the Municipal Committee (MC) were surprised when they found their offices waterlogged with rainwater. Water was accumulated in front of the offices of the Deputy Commissioner (DC), the SSP and the District Treasury Office after the rainfall on Wednesday.

The MC, which is responsible for cleaning clogged drains, found itself in a massive pool of water because the office of MC is located in a low lying area of the town.

As the rain flooded the narrow alleys of the town, it exposed the tall claims of the Municipal Committee (MC) authorities that drains were ready to soak in the water as they had been cleaned of debris including plastic bags. The town resembled a marooned island as stagnant pools of water were formed in busy areas like Hanuman chowk, Jahaz chowk, Bata chowk and Fish Park.

People found themselves marooned in massive pools and to worsen the situation, drinking water supply pipes went bust leaving residents ruing at the callousness of the MC authorities. Incessant rains, coupled with the fact that drinking water has become a rare commodity, are playing havoc with the lives of residents.

To make matters worse, rain water gets mixed with the water supply lines supplying contaminated water to the residents. During the rainy season health authorities often report an increase in water borne disease, a fact corroborated by Civil Hospital authorities.

A senior officer of the MC disclosed that the problem of drinking water getting mixed with sewerage water gets aggravated during rainy days because the 50 year old pipes often leak. MC officials attributed the accumulation of water to lack of civic sense among residents. An official claimed that drains could not be cleaned as they were buried under encroachments made by shop keepers.