Open House: What steps need to be taken to tackle damage caused by monsoon in Tricity?

Prepare joint plan for Tricity

We cannot fight the weather Gods, but can certainly find ways to adapt. Severe summers followed by heavy rains have become a common phenomenon. Though the cities of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali have been vested with good drainage system, they fail to cope up with heavy rains. As such they need to be readied well before the onset of rainy season. Due attention needs to be given to ensure smooth flow of water at Ghaggar. Sukhna Lake also needs to be monitored. Roads should also be repaired well in advance. All the three cities may prepare a joint plan jointly and act well before time.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Upgrade drainage system

To avoid monsoon mayhem in Tricity, authorities must upgrade drainage systems, ensure regular desilting of nullahs and strictly curb encroachments on natural water channels. Adoption of rainwater harvesting, green infrastructure and flood-resilient urban planning is essential. Public awareness and timely disaster management preparedness can further help in minimising disruption to normal life.

Parvinder Singh, Mohali

Carry out desilting regularly

Regularly desilt drains, rivers, and dams to ensure proper water flow. Establish special flood control teams, control rooms, and helplines for reporting waterlogging. Reinforce and raise embankments along rivers to protect against flooding. Modernise sewerage and drainage systems, including stormwater drains, to handle heavy rainfall. Prevent encroachment. Engage local communities in relief activities and provide training for

disaster response.

Flying Officer BS Dhillon, Mohali

Maintenance should not be an afterthought

The recent rainfall has once again crippled life in the Tricity, exposing poor planning and weak infrastructure. Roads turned into ponds, traffic collapsed, and citizens suffered endlessly. These situations are not natural disasters anymore-they are man-made failures. What we need is urgent strengthening of the stormwater drainage system, proper desilting before monsoon and quality repair of city roads. Regular maintenance should be a priority, not an afterthought. Coordination among Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula authorities is equally important, because rain does not stop at borders. Accountability of civic bodies must also be fixed so that taxpayers' money brings lasting solutions, not patchwork.

Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh

Upgrade tricity’s stormwater drains

To prevent crippling monsoon disruptions in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, authorities must rapidly upgrade and maintain stormwater drains, rigorously clean and desilt all drainage systems before monsoon, and restore natural water channels like choes and ponds to act as urban safety valves. Adopt permeable pavements, mandate rainwater harvesting, and create artificial lakes or floodplains in low-lying areas to absorb excess rainfall. Set up 24x7 emergency control rooms, proactive flood relief teams, and real-time river monitoring systems for swift response and public warnings.

Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

Ensure timely cleaning of drains

Every year during monsoon the city roads get flooded with rain water. Commuters get struck in the rain water, their vehicles breakdown and people face long jam during the chaos. This happens every year even after extensive plans in the planned city. The delay in cleaning the drains causes the accumulation of water on city roads. There is a need to take preventive measures before each monsoon to avoid flooding of city roads.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd.), Mohali

Prepare and abide by SOPs

Recent heavy rains in Tricity have wreaked havoc. Civic authorities must prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with emergency situation ensure cleaning of drains, remove silt etc. for smooth flow of water. Identify flood prone areas. Develop emergency measures to mitigate from heavy rain fall, prepare emergency teams for each sector to plan relief measures. At the same time public must be informed about

safety and precautionary measures through media.

Col TBS Bedi, Mohali

Constitute Joint Action Committee

The Tricity area urgently requires a Joint Action Committee dedicated to proactive disaster preparedness and risk mitigation. This committee should systematically analyse historical data to identify recurring vulnerabilities-be it flooding, infrastructure failure or public health emergencies. By synthesising past patterns with current indicators, the committee can pre-calculate potential threats and formulate a comprehensive blueprint for coordinated response. Such a body must function akin to a Disaster Management Authority, but with inter-city collaboration at its core. It should include representatives from municipal bodies, emergency services, civil society, and technical experts.

Narinder Banwait

Strengthen Ghaggar's embankments

Construct and upgrade stormwater drainage systems to efficiently manage heavy rainfall and reduce waterlogging along with road sides. Mohali and Panchkula should strengthen embankments along the river Ghaggar adjoining Mohali villages. Chandigarh administration should Focus on water bodies and lake catchment areas to prevent breaches and flooding. Establish reliable early warning systems to alert residents of impending floods, enabling timely evacuations. Ensure seamless coordination between local, state, and national agencies to respond to flood situations effectively and timely.

Gurcharan Singh Gill, Chandigarh

Collective efforts required

Collective efforts from the public, the police and the administration is required to tackle the monsoon mayhem. The administration needs to be proactive on drainage of water at the low lying and other prone areas. Traffic cops must be present in their rain gear to guide and regulate the traffic and also to help those who face breakdown of their vehicles. The Tricity sees maximum challans due to traffic violation but there is no one to question the authorities for the potholes which put the commuters to risk. The public on their part should drive slowly and sensibly.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

Repair vulnerable stretches in advance

Each year, Punjab faces severe flooding during the monsoon, disrupting normal life, destroying crops, and causing heavy economic losses. To tackle this recurring challenge, a comprehensive and sustainable approach is needed. Strengthening river embankments and repairing vulnerable stretches in advance can prevent breaches. Regular desilting of canals, drains, and rivulets should be undertaken to ensure uninterrupted water flow. Ecological measures such as afforestation, rainwater harvesting and wetland conservation can help absorb excess rainfall.

Brigadier Advitya Madan,

Chandigarh

Modernise Road Infrastructure

The recent spell of unprecedented rainfall in the Tricity exposed the vulnerability of its civic infrastructure, often bringing daily life to a standstill. To avoid such disruptions every monsoon, a multi-pronged approach is needed. The administration must strengthen stormwater drainage systems, regularly desilt nallahs, and ensure water bodies are restored to act as natural reservoirs. Modern technologies such as rainwater harvesting, flood-mapping, and early warning systems can minimize damage. Road networks should be designed with proper slopes and drainage outlets to prevent waterlogging, while stricter checks must curb illegal constructions blocking natural water channels.

Harinder Singh Bhalla, Chandigarh

Curb construction in floodplains

To prevent monsoon-induced chaos in the Tricity region, authorities must urgently implement a multi-pronged flood resilience strategy. This includes upgrading drainage infrastructure with smart sensors and rapid dewatering systems, enforcing strict zoning laws to curb construction in floodplains, and restoring natural water channels like choes and nullahs. Ghaggar river embankments must be fortified and regularly inspected, while Sukhna Lake's floodgates should be integrated with predictive rainfall models for timely action. Community-based disaster response units and mobile wireless stations should be activated during alerts.

Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali

Integrated drainage system needed

Better civic infrastructure is required to combat the monsoon more efficiently. Firstly, developing integrated drainage systems involves preparing and implementing comprehensive long-term drainage master plans to manage runoff. This includes investing in modern stormwater management and drainage systems to increase the capacity of existing drains and installing new ones. Additionally, performing regular and thorough desilting of drains is crucial to prevent blockages that may lead to waterlogging. Strict land use enforcement to control encroachments on critical infrastructure areas while promoting public

awareness campaigns can

be the way forward.

Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh

Improve coordination between tricity MCs

Stormwater drains must be cleaned before every monsoon with strict monitoring to prevent clogging from plastic and construction waste. Secondly, an upgraded drainage network, designed to handle high rainfall using modern engineering solutions like permeable pavements and rain water harvesting pits is required. Better coordination among municipal bodies of Tricity is also crucial for a unified flood management strategy.

PK Patpatia, Ambala

Comprehensive urban planning required

The recent heavy rainfall in the Tricity area has caused widespread disruption, underscoring the urgent need for proactive flood management. To prevent waterlogging, authorities must prioritise comprehensive urban planning and effective drainage systems. Regular cleaning and maintenance of drains, stormwater channels, and water bodies are essential to ensure smooth water flow. Rainwater harvesting systems in residential and commercial

areas can significantly reduce surface runoff.

Kumud Sachdeva, Dera Bassi

Awareness drives can go a long way

To ensure better preparedness, the administrations of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali must conduct a thorough safety audit of stormwater drains, culverts, bridges and vulnerable road stretches before every monsoon. Equally important is community participation. Citizens can help by avoiding plastic waste that clogs drains, reporting waterlogging promptly, and supporting rainwater harvesting at household and community levels. Awareness drives on disaster preparedness, safe mobility during rains, and responsible waste disposal will also go a long way. Monsoons will always test our resilience, but with proactive governance and active citizen cooperation, the Tricity can turn this challenge into an opportunity for sustainable urban planning.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Clear encroachments from river banks

After record breaking rain this year, we need to pay attention to factors like encroachments in the catchment areas of natural drainage systems and non-maintenance of choes and rivulets as the devastation caused can be attributed to them as much as the monsoon. To prevent suffering and damage to infrastructure, the civic authority has to be proactive. Desilting and deweeding of choes and drains should be carried out in a well-organised manner, ensuring unobstructed discharge. Action must also be taken to clear encroachments. Besides, before the onset of the next monsoon, cleaning of road gullies traps and underground stormwater drains must also be ensured.

SS Arora, Mohali

Low-lying areas need special attention

Regular cleaning of the drains and manholes is of utmost importance. Recarpeting of the roads is mandatory to avoid waterlogging and potholes creating hurdles. The drainage system needs to be improved to go along with good quality roads. Pavement tiles on footpaths and outside houses block rainwater from going deep down into the earth. The government should avoid pavers on footpaths. Elevation of low-lying areas is a must to avoid water entering the houses.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Enlist the help of local RWAs

"Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance" should be the motto when tackling monsoon mayhem. We can prepare well in advance so that, the Tricity stands as an outstanding example on urban management. We have only three to four water bodies to keep a check on and plenty of time to prepare. Cleaning the choes and rivers, bolstering their banks with cement wherever necessary, clearing the slums in the vicinity can be helpful. Installing sirens at sensitive points can also help with alerts. This year's situation can also be studied to formulate a strategy for the future and resident welfare associations (RWA) can also play an active role in it.

Sanjeev Bishnoi