Five villages on Chandigarh periphery cut off as rainwater damages causeway

Overnight rain on hills threw life out of gear downstream as many rainwater overflowed on causeways and roads in parts of Mohali till late in the afternoon.

The road connectivity in Jayanti Majri near Chandigarh was snapped since early morning as a seasonal rivulet was in full spate till afternoon. Five villages — Jayanti Majri, Gurha, Kasauli, Karoundi, Baghindi — were cut off after a causeway was damaged near Jayanti Majri village.

Residents said hundreds of students could not go to their schools in the area while office-goers and milkmen were stranded in the morning as rainwater gushed through the rivulet, cutting off the connecting road from Chandigarh. Long queues of vehicles and two-wheeler riders were formed on two ends of the road near the rivulet.

Mubarikpur causeway flooded

In Mubarikpur, the Dhakoli-Dera Bassi road connectivity was snapped as the Mubarikpur causeway on Ghaggar overflowed after excess water was released from Kaushalya Dam. Road users who take this alternative shortcut on the Zirakpur-Dera Bassi stretch said the administration did not even bother to depute cops at the Zirakpur end.

Village residents slammed the AAP government for failing to build even one bridge in three years despite Kharar MLA Anmol Gagan Mann’s promise. “During rainy season, we cannot reach Chandigarh hospitals as there is proper health facility available in our village,” they alleged.

Sham Singh Choudhary, former sarpach of Jayanti Majri, rued, “All governments, be it SAD, Congress and now AAP, have failed to live up to the expectations of people here. Congress leaders Charanjit Singh Channi and Manish Tewari, and Jagmohan Kang, Anmol Gagan Mann and Malwinder Singh Kang of AAP have represented this place at high positions in the Parliament and the CM’s office but failed to provide even proper road connectivity.”

Anandpur Sahib MP Malwinder Singh Kang had released a grant of Rs 6 lakhs for the repair of the eroded causeway two days ago, but official lethargy ensured that the ramp of the causeway was washed away. No official of the district administration, PWD or GMADA visited the site till afternoon.