Floodwater recedes, Patiala residents count losses

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, July 14

The flood fury in parts of the city left behind trails of destruction and decay.

While residents of Urban Estate Phase 2 were found calculating losses, many families of Gopal Colony said the destruction this time was much more than what they had suffered in 2019. Many of them said they lost all their belongings.

The floodwater from Badi Nadi had entered houses in Urban Estate Phase 2. Residents said the water has receded, but it has left behind damaged household items and vehicles. They are now cleaning items and dumping those rendered useless.

Harpreet Singh, an Urban Estate resident who works at Punjabi University, said his family suffered losses in lakhs. “Our beds are completely destroyed and the wood work in the house damaged. I had parked my vehicle at my relative’s house away from this area. Hence, it was saved.”

Gurmehar, another resident, said the level of floodwater that entered his house had reached over 7 ft. “Our beds, electronic items and wooden furniture were completely submerged and damaged in the water. I am forced to sell the items off in scrap.”

Water is still not completely drained out in Gopal Colony. The area is inhabited by migrants with low incomes and meagre savings. Aseem, a dweller, said, “We were pushed back a few years in 2019 when the area was flooded. This time again, we have suffered losses due to the inundated Badi Nadi. We have lost our belongings and many of us are dependent on supplies from the administration.”

Dimple Singh, another area resident said, “Our refrigerators, beds and other electronic items are all destroyed. We have suffered a huge loss this time.” He said MC teams were only clearing streets of the accumulated water. “They should visit the colony and drain out the stagnant water. They are visiting the outer areas, spraying larvicide and returning after a photo operation. The administration and the MC should drain out the collected rainwater at the earliest before there is an outbreak of some disease,” he said.