Rain submerges most areas, water enters shops, houses

Our Correspondent
Ludhiana, February 7

Heavy thunder showers and hail storm that lashed the city since late last evening inundated most city localities and normal life was disrupted as the rain continued intermittently all through the day today. Major roads, national highways (passing through the city) and internal streets in many residential areas and commercial hubs remained under water and sewer lines were overflowing at several places in the city due to poor storm water disposal.

Reports from the city indicated that Dholewal Chowk, most part of Old GT Road, Clock Tower Chowk, Bhadaur House, Feroze Gandhi Market, Elevated Road, residential localities along Ferozepur Road, Pakhowal Road, Hambran Road, Model Town, Dugri, Mini Secretariat, Domoria Pul, Haibowal and many areas in old city were under water. In some localities in old city areas of Islam Ganj, Field Ganj, Chaura Bazaar and Daresi Road, rainwater entered shops and houses causing damage to property and household articles.

As the roads and streets were under water for most part of the day, vehicles, mostly two wheelers, were stuck at several places and in some parts of the city even pedestrians found it tough to wade in knee-deep water. In particular, the office-goers and students found it tough to reach their destinations and attendance in many schools was reported to be thin due to incessant rain.

The main compound of Mini Secretariat in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office looked like a water body and rainwater had also reportedly entered some government offices located in the basement area of the Mini Secretariat, causing inconvenience to the employees and visitors. 

The havoc wreaked by moderate to heavy showers was compounded by disruption in power supply in several city localities. At some places, the power supply went off around 9 pm on Wednesday and it took more  than 12 hours to restore the supply after damage caused to transmission lines at two places by lightning was repaired around midnight.

Chief Engineer/Central Zone   of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited DPS Grewal said 12-odd feeders were disrupted around midnight due to damage caused by lightning to Noorewal-Amaltas transmission line and Millerganj grid. “Power supply in most of the affected areas was restored by 11 am and the supply at present was almost normal in the city,” he said.