Heavy rainfall pours trouble in city

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 12

Heavy rain lashed the city, leaving several parts of the city waterlogged, on Sunday afternoon. The premises of the city railway station also witnessed water stagnation, due to which passengers had to wade through the rainwater to reach different platforms.

Passengers were seen crossing the inundated portion barefoot, holding their shoes to save them from getting wet. A passenger, Kewal Singh, said, “It is a sheer inconvenience. The station management should get such passages constructed which do not get submerged.”

The situation was no different on several roads as well as the bus stand. Residents said the storm sewage in the city appeared incapable of draining out rainwater as it took a long time to do the same.

Apart from pedestrians, two-wheeler riders too were inconvenienced as their bikes developed a snag on the waterlogged roads.

“I waited for almost half an hour after the rain halted. As the Lawrence road was heavily flooded, the ignition my bike engine went off. It becomes irritating when your shoes and trousers are drenched and you have to wade through a flooded road, pushing your bike,” said Satinder Singh Bal, a private employee.

Two-wheeler riders also complained of the insensitivity of four-wheeler riders who drove at a high speed, splashing water on other commuters. “Storm sewage should be built in such a way that water is drained out instantly,” said Yogita Sharma, a student.

Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu said, “The storm drain is fully functional but it takes some time during heavy showers. Roads, mostly, are cleared without one or two hours. Efforts are being made to make the system more efficient.”