Rain cripples Mohali

Gaurav Kanthwal

Mohali, July 9

Incessant rain continuing since Saturday morning has caused chaos in the district with rainwater flooding housing societies, streets and roads flooded in all three subdivisions.

Two houses adjoining to the Patiala ki Rao rivulet collapsed during the rain. The owner of one of the houses, Kapil, a local businessman, said, “I have never seen so much water here in the past nine years since I got my house construction. I am still paying instalments of the house loan.” The adjoining house too tilted, rendering it inhabitable.

As many as 15 families were evacuated from Panchvati Enclave in Kharar as the Patiala ki Rao rivulet rose to dangerous levels. The residents were provided shelter in the nearby gurdwara.

Around 40 migrant labourers, whose shanties and household items were washed away in the Patiala ki Rao rivulet, were put up at Ram Bhawan in the Dussehra Ground, Kharar. An appeal has been made to the public to provide food and clothing to them.

While the rising levels of the Patiala Ki Rao rivulet caused extensive damage in Kharar areas, in Dera Bassi, the Ghaggar river threw life out of gear. Six NDRF teams had been put on standby in the district since morning.

The Mubarikpur causeway was submerged and several houses were inundated by the swollen Ghaggar. Many houses were submerged in knee-deep water in Haripur Kuran, Dera Bassi. The old Dera Bassi area witnessed severe waterlogging with rainwater entering houses and damaging household items as well as vehicles.

In Zirakpur, the main Chandigarh-Zirakpur road had remained flooded till evening. As rain continued to pound in the afternoon, the traffic came to almost a standstill at 11:40 am.

The Sukhna choe was flowing 2.5 ft above the bridge in Baltana.

Rainwater entered hundreds of houses in Mohali, damaging goods worth lakhs. Cars parked in low-lying areas of Mohali were damaged. Road users said the Airport Road was flooded with two-foot rainwater at several places.

Ward No. 5 councillor Baljit Kaur said, “I called up the fire brigade, but it got stuck on a waterlogged road. The suction pump has also stopped working here.”

Senior Deputy Mayor Amrik Singh Somal said in Sector 71, many houseshold goods and cars were damaged due to rainwater. Mohali MC Commissioner Navjot Kaur visited the area early in the morning. A portion of Chappar Chiri road in Sector 92 was washed away.

Two houses collapse in Kharar

Two houses, one in Thathereyan Wala Mohalla in Ward No. 21, old Kharar, and the other in Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar area (Ward No. 3) of Kharar adjoining to the Patiala ki Rao rivulet, collapsed during the rain.

VIP Road societies under 2-ft water

The housing societies of Savitry Greens, Nirmal Chhaya, Maya Garden, Phase 3; Hotel Metro and most of the other areas on VIP Road, Dhakoli Peermuchalla, Gazipur, Lohgarh were submerged in two-foot rainwater.

Houses flooded

Rainwater entered hundreds of houses in Mohali with the residents of Sector 71, Mataur village, Phase 3B2, Phase 3B1, Phase 7, Phase 2, Phase 5 and Phase 1 being the worst sufferers. Houses in Sector 71 near the Airport Road were submerged in knee-deep water.

Ten flights cancelled

Ten flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad were cancelled due to bad weather at SBSI Airport.

Govt, pvt schools & colleges closed today

Moahli Admn ordered that all government and private schools and colleges in Mohali district will remain closed on Monday.