Ill-prepared MC, GMADA leave Mohali in knee-deep water

Two days of intermittent rain have exposed the Municipal Corporation and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority’s (GMADA) ill- preparedness in dealing with waterlogging during the monsoon season.

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Roads, parks, markets, housing societies and playgrounds are waterlogged after just the second rain of the monsoon as the authorities, both GMADA and civic body, again rush to clean road gullies, lay drainage pipes and clean seasonal rivulets (choe) before the rainy season.

GMADA floated tenders to clean road gullies and sewer lines in IT City on June 25 with opening in mid-July. IT City resident Sewa Singh said the authority just collects money and fines but carries out no development work.

The Zirakpur civic body, meanwhile, has just dug up the main road near Patiala Chowk to lay drainage pipes in monsoon.

As rainwater inundated housing societies and roads, irate residents slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, GMADA, the MC for the mess with a two-month long monsson season looming.

“The Punjab government and its MLA have failed in its basic duty of maintaining infrastructure, leave alone of doing something good for the district. They just talk and do nothing. The day it rains heavily, there is no electricity and water in Aerocity G-Block since 4am today,” said resident Kuldeep Singh.

TDI City Sector 117 resident Pawan K Gupta said, “GMADA and the builder charged full EDC from Day 1 from the residents but no facilities till today. There is no audit by GMADA on the builder.”

The situation in Nayagaon and Kharar is no different. The market near Shivalik City Gate-1 in Kharar remained closed as rainwater inundated roads, parking lots and corrirdors. Roads remained waterlogged and rainwater even entered houses in Hari Enclave in Mundi Kharar’s Ward Number 7.

In Dera Bassi, residents said the rainwater in seasonal choes near housing societies has reminded them of recent floods when boats had to brought in to rescue people. In Nayagaon, road cave-ins have made commuting risky on waterlogged roads.