Patiala records 85mm rainfall in 24 hours
Three hours of rain, pouring 49.6mm of water, flooded the streets of the royal city today. The rain also laid bare the tall claims of the development authority, the administration and the Municipal Corporation with several areas, including Police Lines, Bahawalpur Palace Road, Tripuri, Urban Estate, Mall Road, Old City area, Tawakkali Morh, Adalat Bazaar and Anand Nagar, witnessing severe waterlogging.
The city received a record 85mm rainfall in the past 24 hours. As per the Meteorological Department, the monthly average rainfall in the district during September remains 111.7mm. The Patiala station recorded 406.6mm of rainfall from June 1 to September 4 this year. The normal rainfall recorded at the station during the season is 453mm.
The weatherman has predicted that conditions would remain the same for three more days as partly cloudy sky. A spell or two of rain or thundershowers is expected in the city.
Meanwhile, water entered houses in Tripuri and government houses where many officers live, causing losses. In many areas, sewerage was choked adding to the water woes.
“The administration’s inaction and lack of preparedness have once again been exposed,” said locals, highlighting the need for effective drainage solutions.
The newly constructed roads of Phoolkian Enclave and the newly laid rainwater pipeline to help residents near Tripuri were submerged. Many vehicles were damaged and had to be abandoned on the roads. The relentless rain exacerbated the city’s ongoing waterlogging issues, disrupting life.
The inundated roads and flooded streets starkly exposed the lack of preparedness of the MC and the district administration in handling extreme weather events. Locals pointed to the mismanagement of sewerage system as a key contributor to the flooding.
The situation was terrible across various parts of the city. Anardana Chowk, Chandni Chowk, Model Town, Chhoti Baradari, Old Bus Stand and Lahal Colony, all experienced significant waterlogging, exposing the inadequacies of Patiala’s drainage system. In several areas, rainwater entered homes forcing residents to use wipers and buckets to drain it out.
The traffic chaos extended beyond the city limits, spilling onto the highways. Queues of stranded vehicles were seen near Chitkara University, close to Neelam Hospital, as traffic on both sides of the Rajpura-Chandigarh Highway came to a standstill.
Rainfall in dist
Nabha 10 cm
Patiala (city) 9 cm
Patiala (Rural) 7 cm
Rauni 6 cm
Samana 5 cm
Bhadson 5 cm
