Incessant rain ravages Chandigarh's road infra

The incessant rain over the past few days has worsened the condition of roads in the city, posing threat to commuters.

Potholes have turned into pits on several roads. Loosened gravel also pose a risk to commuters, particularly near roundabouts ravaged with heavy flow of rainwater. Waterlogging damaged parking spaces in markets of many sectors.

At Bapu Dham Colony in Sector 26, roads were damaged after remaining submerged in accumulated rainwater. Streets were flooded and water entered houses too. The condition of the Sector 26 Fruit and Vegetable Market is pitiable. Muddy pathways and garbage cause inconvenience to the visitors.

The road connecting Panjab University and Dhanas has been completely destroyed. The stretch remained submerged in rainwater. A portion of a road in Khuda Lahora was washed away due to the flow of water in the adjoining rivulet. The police have placed barricades on the roads leading to the Bapu Dham bridge. Barricades have also been put up on the roads near the Chandigarh Golf Club. A road stretch from Sector 48-C to Mohali now offers a bumpy ride to commuters.

The authorities concerned have failed to drain out stagnant rainwater in some areas. One such place is the open air theatre in Sector 48, which has turned into a lake. Its surrounding areas are under knee-deep water.

Narinder Kumar, a resident of Sector 48-C, said the MC lacked the wherewithal to drain out water. Its employees visited their sector a few days ago, but returned without doing anything, he added. RK Verma, another resident of the area, said children from nearby areas were visiting the open air theatre these days for a swim. He demanded that water should be immediately drained out of the site to prevent any tragic incident.

Varun Chopra, resident of Sector 51-A, said the vacant Forest Department land adjacent to the MC petrol pump between Vikas Marg and the residential area of Sector 51 had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a safety hazard due to 3-ft-deep water. It was now overflowing towards the residential area. The water has a thick layer of green algae and emits foul smell. The residents of Category II Chandigarh Housing Board Flats in Sector 51-A were suffering due to this. Chopra said, “We recently spotted a snake and a porcupine near our houses. We fear for our safety.”

Despite lodging multiple complaints with the Forest Department, no action had been taken, he said, adding that councillor Jasmanpreet Singh tried to help by arranging pumps and generator sets to drain out the water, but the efforts proved inadequate. He informed senior officials of the department, but to no avail.