Waterlogging cripples Panchkula for second day straight

Several parts of the city remained inundated on the second day of consecutive monsoon showers, exposing the city’s inadequate drainage infrastructure and poor preparedness by civic authorities.

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From residential colonies to key roads and markets, waterlogging caused significant disruption and public hardship.

Areas worst affected included the Industrial Area, Sector 7, Sector 15, and Sector 20, with traffic crawling through waterlogged streets and pedestrians struggling through flooded sidewalks. The Sector 8-9 dividing road was inundated, creating a traffic bottleneck and raising safety concerns for schoolchildren and officegoers. Sector 26 and Balmiki Chowk in Sector 12A also reported waist-deep water in several stretches.

In Sector 19, the situation was particularly grim near the under-bridge. Despite claims of improved drainage by the Municipal Corporation, the area witnessed severe flooding. Ironically, just last week, residents had flagged this issue during a grievance redressal camp at the DC office.

Even after a subsequent official survey, no effective action followed. Locals have accused corrupt municipal officials of making cosmetic arrangements rather than addressing the root cause — thereby “ensuring residents drown rather than drain,” a resident remarked bitterly.

The crisis comes in the wake of repeated warnings by Vikas Manch Panchkula, a citizens’ group that had submitted a detailed representation to the PMDA and HSVP well before the monsoon.

The group had demanded that all drain and gully cleaning be undertaken using proper de-silting machinery and not through manual or tokenistic efforts that had failed in past years.

Advisory flags flood risk near Ghaggar

The police have urged residents to avoid going near the Ghaggar river during the monsoon, warning of sudden rise in water level and flood risks in low-lying areas. DCP Shrishti Gupta advised the public to remain alert. Citizens were asked to follow official advisories and report emergencies at 0172-2582100 or 7508324900. The police called for community cooperation to ensure public safety.