Heavy rain floods Sirsa, exposes admn’s claims

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, July 7

Flooding due to poor rainwater drainage has once again become a major problem in Sirsa. Despite the installation of pipes under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme at a cost of Rs 35 crore, the work remains incomplete.

The first heavy rain on Sunday exposed the inadequacies in the administration’s efforts to improve drainage in the city. After 65 mm of rainfall, the entire city appeared flood-stricken, as most areas were submerged in dirty water. Deputy Commissioner RK Singh and other officials visited various areas that were waterlogged, including the railway overbridge, Hisar Road, Parshuram Chowk and Civil Hospital Road on Sunday evening to assess the situation.

Under the AMRUT scheme Sirsa was divided into two sections for underground pipe installations. For the areas along the Barnala and Hisar roads, a boosting station was constructed behind the Khairpur police post to channelise rainwater into the Rangoi drain. For areas, including Ambedkar Chowk, Valmiki Chowk, Janata Bhawan and Dabwali Road another boosting station was set up near Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Stadium to direct rainwater into the Ghaggar. However, the stormwater is now being diverted to Sirsa’s Sukhchain Minor, to which the areas such as the Hisar Road and Janata Bhawan road are yet to be connected.

Sunday’s rain caused significant issues, including the pipeline near the Khairpur police post on Hisar Road collapsing at several places. Poorly connected pipes led to the backflow of water, prompting residents to block alleys with sticks and poles. Similarly, the road near Bajaj Sweets at Maharana Pratap Chowk on Hisar Road also caved in at multiple spots.

Former ward councillor and ex-chairman of the municipal council Randhir Singh pointed out that many sections of the road had collapsed due to the poorly laid pipes under the AMRUT scheme, leading to severe waterlogging on Hisar Road.

Local shopkeeper Ashok Kumar said the early morning rain on Sunday had revealed the shortcomings of Sirsa city’s development claims. Various areas such as the Valmiki Chowk, Janata Bhawan road, Suratgaria Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar, Parshuram Chowk, Hisaria Bazaar and Ambedkar Chowk were heavily flooded, causing inconvenience to many.

On Rania Road, the ongoing work of laying underground pipes had led to traffic being diverted, and with the first monsoon rain causing such conditions, the city might be left to fend for itself in the coming days.

Shopkeeper Aman Singh said the city had faced similar issues for the past 15 years, with even minor rains turning the city into a ‘pond’. He added that the administration used pumps to remove water from the flooded areas, wasting public money, and that better pre-emptive measures could improve the situation.

District Municipal Commissioner Surender Singh said the administration was closely monitoring the waterlogging problem and continuously using pumps to remove water. He said the areas covered under the AMRUT scheme, such as the Civil Hospital, Arorvansh Chowk, Janata Bhawan and Agarsain Colony, directed rainwater into Sukhchain Minor. Additionally, a drainage system from Bal Bhawan road to Khairpur post built at a cost of Rs 8 crore directed water to the Rangoi drain. He said a tender for another plan would be issued within a week and executed within a year to cover the remaining parts of the city, aiming to eliminate the problem of waterlogging throughout the city.

Canal breach inundates 30 acres of farmland

Due to the heavy rain that lashed the district on Sunday morning, a breach occurred in the Rajpura Minor, causing water to flood approximately 30 acres which has soybean and cluster bean crops in Ratta Khera and Risalia Khera villages. Upon getting information about the breach, the officials concerned assessed the situation and started repair works using the Nuhianwali bridge to reduce water levels in the minor. After about 9 hours, they completed the repairs. Many farmers, including Nilesh Kumar, Nitin Kumar and Ranvir reported extensive waterlogging in nearly 30 acres of their crops due to the breach in the minor.