Downpour washes away Chandigarh civic body claims

The Municipal Corporation’s claims of monsoon preparedness notwithstanding, rain on consecutive days wreaked havoc in the city today. Waterlogging and the resulting chaos on roads was a common sight across the city, exposing the civic body’s claims of all road gullies having been cleaned before the start of monsoon.

Traffic snarls were witnessed at many roundabouts. Several vehicles were seen stuck on the road opposite Police Lines in Sector 26. The traders in the area said a water supply pipeline had been laid here recently. They accused the contractor of a “shoddy” job, which had resulted in cave-ins on the road.

The underpasses between Sector 11 and 15 and Phase-I Industrial Area were flooded, rendering them unusable.

A Mohali resident, who car broke down at the Sector 15 underpass, said the motor installed at the underpass for removing the water was not working.

A tree was uprooted outside a government house in Sector 22. The civic body has received 20 such complaints. Complaints about water entering houses were also received from different parts of the city, including Sector 21, 23 and 24.

Road digging banned

The Municipal Corporation, in line with its terms and conditions for road cut permissions, has issued a directive restricting road cutting activities during the monsoon season. Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar passed the order, which shall be effective from July 1 to September 30. During the period, no road cut permission shall be granted across Chandigarh except for emergent works. To ensure public safety and minimise inconvenience during the rains, it has been decided that all ongoing works must be stopped within one week and the affected roads must be properly restored.

In cases where permissions have already been granted but work has not commenced, the activity will not be allowed during the restricted period, unless declared emergent and approved by the Municipal Commissioner.