Downpour disrupts traffic, markets in Panipat

A heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds on Wednesday afternoon left several colonies, markets and main roads in Panipat submerged under knee-deep water. The waterlogging led to massive traffic jams on NH-44.

The highway resembled a canal at several stretches, while internal roads were also inundated. Sanjay Chowk, Tehsil Camp cut, the grain market cut, Khadi Ashram and Malik Petrol Pump on NH-44 were among the worst affected points.

Residential and commercial areas including Model Town, Bishan Saroop Colony, Sukhdev Nagar, Sector 11-12, Gohana road, Assandh road, Sanoli road and parts of Tehsil Camp were also waterlogged, causing severe inconvenience to residents.

Markets such as Insar Market, Chaura Bazar, Palika Bazar, Mahavir Bazar and Gurudwara Road were submerged, forcing shopkeepers and commuters to wade through sewage water. The foul smell worsened the situation.

Blocked sewer lines in several colonies and markets intensified the problem. Despite repeated claims by the Municipal Corporation (MC) about pre-monsoon cleaning of drains, residents said the measures had failed to prevent flooding.

“The Municipal Corporation claimed to have cleaned all the drains, spending huge sums of public money. Yet every year during monsoon we face the same problem of waterlogging,” said Jitender Kumar, a local resident.

Anil from Virat Nagar said, “I had to go to Sector 12 for some work but was stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour due to waterlogging at Sanjay Chowk. Almost all the roads in Sector 12 were submerged.”

Vishal Verma of Sector 12 added, “The main road from NH-44 to Angel Mall was in a terrible condition with knee-deep water. The drainage system in the sector was completely choked.”