Years on, waterlogging still haunts locals

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 18

Many years have passed and a huge amount have been spend on resolving the waterlogging problem in the city, but the Municipal Corporation of Bathinda has failed to find a solution to the problem till date.

Showers that last for only a few minutes are enough to waterlog city roads and low-lying areas in the absence of a proper drainage system. Residents have to wade through a mix of sewage and rainwater that accumulates on the roads even after rain is over.

A major reason behind accumulation of water is the set up of the drainage system against the natural flow of water.

The civic body wakes up from slumber every year just ahead of the monsoon season only due to which it could do only temporary arrangements. This year, only a few days ago, the MC has started dewatering ponds in the city to increase their capacity. The work of desilting of ponds has also not been completed till date.

Tall claims made by MC officials increase hopes of city residents to get rid of problems like sewage overflow and waterlogging during the monsoon. But the first pre-monsoon showers on Sunday washed away MC claims. Low-lying areas in the city were waterlogged.

The lackluster approach of the MC has raised a question on its working. Residents said why the MC did not start preparing for the rainy season in advance.

Sirki Bazaar, which suffers the most due to waterlogging during the monsoon, is yet to heave a sigh of relief. As per information, the MC had laid a rainwater pipeline that is linked to the main pipeline at Sirki Bazaar at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. But the move failed to provide any respite.

A new rainwater pipe and a boosting station have came up on Power House Road at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, but the area remains submerged in rainwater during monsoon.

A water disposal line and a water inlet were laid from Bhatti Road to the DAV pond in Aggarwal Colony at a cost of Rs 40 lakh. However, the area remains waterlogged during the rainy season. A storm water drain was laid in the Civil Lines area at a cost of Rs 10 lakh, but the condition did not improve.

The MC also roped in a Noida-based private company to improve the condition of sewerage and water supply in the city. The civic body is paying Rs 6 crore per year to the company for 10 years.

Besides, the MC had paid Rs 7 crore for desilting work from 2013 to 2015, but sewerages in the city are often found choked. The civic body also pays Rs 37 lakh every month to the Sewerage Board.

Ginny, a city resident, said, “Residents of low-lying areas are highly affected during rains as water enters their houses. The water also damages their furniture. It is high time that the administration should come up with a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem in the city.”

Another resident Gian Chand Bansal said, “The problem of waterlogging in the city can be resolved but MC officials are not making serious efforts in this direction. Every time, the low-lying areas get affected. The MC should have finished the desilting of ponds earlier. By installing more pumps, water from these areas should have been diverted into these ponds.”

Rakesh Narula, a social activist, said, “Residents are affected due to the waterlogging problem in the rainy season. It is the result of district administration’s negligence. No concrete step has been taken to resolve the issue.”

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said, “The MC is working hard to check the problem of waterlogging and sewerage overflow in the city. Projects have already started showing their results as rainwater is drained within hours now. Earlier, water accumulates on roads for a day or more. The work of lying parallel pipelines along the sullage carrier is also going on at a rapid pace.”