MC member, Railway officials inspect drains in Ambala City

To improve drainage of rainwater and ensure cleaning of all drains before the onset of monsoon, a nominated member of the Ambala Municipal Corporation (MC), along with Railway officials, inspected various locations where drains under rail tracks are lying blocked.

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As per information, MC Mayor Shailja Sachdeva in a letter to Union Railway Minister last month had raised the issue of blocked drains under railway tracks. Mayor had stated in the letter that during laying of new rail tracks on Ambala-Rajpura section, a huge quantity of construction material was left in drains.

Nominated member Sandeep Sachdeva said, “The rainy season is about to begin. The urban area has already received heavy rainfall. Ambala City faces severe waterlogging. Poor drainage of rainwater every year aggravates the situation during monsoon. Residents and shopkeepers also suffer losses. To minimise the issue of waterlogging, various efforts are being made. The Mayor has written letters to Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Divisional Railway Manager about locations where water overflows due to major blockage.”

“Thirteen such places have been identified in the city. One of the major locations has culvert which goes under the railway track. These locations were inspected today along with railway officials. They were shown all places where water gets accumulated. During construction of the new freight corridor by the Railways, concrete and debris was left in most culverts which obstructs drainage of rainwater. A section of around 2 km was inspected and a discussion was held with officials about cleaning drains,” he said.

Speaking to mediapersons Sandeep Sachdeva said, “Taking cognisance of the Mayor’s letter, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) had issued directions to officials concerned to visit locations so that waterlogging issue could be resolved. We have shown locations where drains were lying blocked. We are hopeful that if drains are cleaned within 20 days, the issue of severe waterlogging can be resolved. We are coordinating with all departments concerned, including the Public Health Engineering Department, irrigation and PWD, so that Ambala residents don’t face inconvenience during the rainy season.”