Threat of waterlogging looms large as clogged drains await cleanliness drive

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, June 12

A majority of the drains in the city are lying clogged and posing a threat of waterlogging as the authorities are yet to undertake a comprehensive cleanliness drive, it is learnt.

As the city has a 138-km-long drain network, the annual exercise for ensuring proper and deep cleaning of problematic areas is yet to gain the momentum, claimed sources in the civic administration.

“Although the city has around 37 major and minor drains/nullahs, most of these remain clogged round the year due to the lack of cleanliness, resulting in filthy civic conditions and a blocked drainage,” said Yogesh Dhingra, a former municipal corporator.

He says although cleanliness needed to be done round the year, a special drive was launched in June to ensure that these do not result in waterlogging during the monsoons.

Some of the problem spots in the city include the Air force Road, 60 feet road, AC Nagar drain, Budhiya Nala, drains located at Neelam Bata Road, BK Chowk, Dabua Pali road, Railway road, Jain Mandir road, Pyali Chowk, Ward 8, Jat Bhawan-Panchkuian Road, Badkhal-Ankhir Road, Pyali Chowk, Gonchhi, Goodyear Chowk, Sectors 4-7, drain on the dividing road of YMCA till Sector 8, Sector 7-10 market, Sector 9-10 dividing road, Sihi Gate, Sector 3 to Tigaon Road, Samaypur Road and Sector 22 Road.

Blaming the poor upkeep and maintenance of sewerage and drainage systems for the looming crisis, Neeraj Sharma, Congress MLA from the NIT Assembly segment, said his constituency was one of the severely affected areas as there was hardly any street or colony, where residents did not have such complaints.

He said locals had raised complaints about sewer blockades and overflowing waste with the authorities, including the CM office, after they failed to get the issue resolved through the local administration.

“A majority of the stormwater drains in residential sectors and colonies have not been cleaned for years, resulting in the complete clogging of the pipes,” said city resident Varun Sheokand.

Another resident Vishnu Goel claimed that several crores were spent on the cleaning of sewerage and drains every year, yet one could hardly see any change on the ground as the problem had only been aggravated over time.

Gaurav Antil, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, said although the work of cleaning drains was a regular exercise, executive engineers of all the divisions of the civic body had been directed to ensure the completion of the cleaning process by June-end, to avert the problem of waterlogging.

Engineers directed to finish work by June-end

Although the work of cleaning drains is a regular exercise, executive engineers of all divisions of the civic body have been directed to ensure the completion of the cleaning process by June-end, to avert the problem of waterlogging. — Gaurav Antil, Additional Commissioner, MC, Faridabad