In Mohali, roads waterlogged, sewers overflow, drains choke
Mohali, July 2
Showers today brought some respite from searing heat wave but also led to seasonal issues of overflowing sewage lines, choked drains and waterlogged roads.
A brief spell of rain for 20-odd minutes inundated several parts of Mohali with rainwater, leaving residents to face waterlogging issues for the rest of the day.
No relief from inundation near McDonald’s Chowk
In February this year, the Mohali district administration had expressed concern over the long-pending issue of stagnation of rainwater at McDonald’s chowk in Zirakpur and asked the NHAI authorities to fix the issue permanently. However, nothing happened despite repeated reminders. Storm water drains and sewer lines have been left open and incomplete on the Zirakpur-Panchkula stretch of the National Highway leading to safety hazards, congestions and traffic jams. The NHAI has failed to complete the construction work of flyovers too.
The Chandigarh-Ambala National Highway was swamped with rainwater near the under-construction flyovers in Zirakpur, leading to traffic congestion. Tall claims of measures to check waterlogging, extra-wide storm water drains and drainage pumps near Singhpura fell flat.
Long queues of vehicles and traffic jams were witnessed on VIP Road, near Patiala chowk, K-Area light point and Paras Downtown mall.
“In the last one year, no development work has taken place. In Dyalpura and Nagla, sewage lines have been dug up before the monsoon season. The Zirakpur Municipal Council is in a mess,” said a Dharmendra Yadav, a Nagla resident. Hundreds of industrial workers faced inconvenience as their vehicles were stuck on the Dera Bassi-Barwala road due to slush near Saidpura.
In Mohali, Airport Road remained waterlogged at several places since morning till late in the afternoon. Residents of Phase 3B2 and other low-lying areas complained of choked drains, waterlogging and sewage water flowing into the approach road behind the market.
Deepinder Singh, general secretary, Residents Welfare Association (10 marla) and president Pinkky Aulakh said, “Eateries in the market are running illegal kitchens and storehouses in the backyards. They dump garbage, plastic and leftover food in drains. All sewer lines are choked, causing sewage to spill on to the road. Foul smell keeps emanating from here whole day. The rainy season is horrible for us.”
In Kharar, pre-monsoon showers caused severe waterlogging in Santemajra and Swaraj Enclave with schoolchildren and office-goers facing a harrowing time in the morning.
Around a week ago, Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh had got started the cleaning of the storm water line from Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan to Kumbhra Chowk line.
