Mohali ill-prepared for monsoon

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 21

Though pre-monsoon showers have already started, the city is still not adequately prepared for the rains. The authorities are yet to start cleaning of blocked road gullies and stormwater drains.

Pre-monsoon showers that lashed the city recently have exposed the tall claims of the Municipal Corporation regarding preparedness for the monsoon, which is likely to hit the city on June 25. More than 45 per cent of the road gullies and stormwater drains are lying blocked.

As the monsoon is round the corner, residents believe that the civic body doesn’t have enough time to clean stormwater drains. There is a lack of coordination among agencies responsible for maintaining the drainage system. This is evident from the fact that roads in Zirakpur, Mohali and Kharar turn into virtual rivers as the stormwater drainage system completely fails after the rain.

Surjit Singh, a resident of Phase 3B1, said if the MC had taken corrective measures on time, the city could have been saved from witnessing flooding during the monsoon season.

However, MC officials claimed that more than 60 per cent of the choked road gullies and stormwater drains had already been cleaned.

MC Commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg said all choked road gullies and stormwater drains would be cleaned before the onset of monsoon. Wild growth in the N-choe had already been removed.

Though the corporation has removed wild growth from the N-choe, seasonal rivulets such as Patiala ki Rao behind Balongi, N-choe passing through Phase 9, 10, and Sector 67 and Lakhnour choe near Phase 11 are yet to be cleaned.

Tall claims exposed

Pre-monsoon showers that lashed the city recently have exposed the tall claims of the Municipal Corporation regarding preparedness for the monsoon, which is likely to hit the city on June 25. More than 45 per cent of the road gullies and stormwater drains are lying blocked.