Roadside ducts prove to be bane of Dharamsala during monsoon
Lalit Mohan
Dharamsala, July 18
Narrow ducts that were constructed along Dharamsala roads under the Smart City project have become a bane during the ongoing monsoon.
Earlier, rainwater used to flow out of the city through open drains constructed along roads. Open drains have been replaced with closed ducts. With nowhere to go, the rainwater is now overflowing on to the road, causing inconvenience to commuters. — Sanjeev Sharma, Resident, Civil Lines area, Dharamsala
Not only are these ducts inadequate to deal with the flow of water during heavy rain, these have also damaged the natural drainage system in the city.
Precipitation on Wednesday highlighted this problem, as the ducts started overflowing amid heavy rainfall. Rainwater inundated roads and entered private properties. It is reported that the overflowing water damaged many roads in Dharamsala. It also carried along a large quantity of gravel from hills on to the roads, posing a risk to commuters.
Narrow ducts were created along the smart road leading from the head office of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education to the Dharamsala bus stand. These ducts were supposed to carry insulated electricity wires and maintain drainage on the smart road constructed in the heart of Dharamsala city.
Although work on these ducts was yet to be completed, the recent monsoon has proved that these are likely to be inadequate to accommodate rainwater.
Stressing that it does not seem to be a ‘smart’ idea, Sanjeev Sharma, a resident of the Civil Lines area of Dharamsala, said, “Earlier, rainwater used to flow out of the city through open drains constructed along roads. Open drains have been replaced with closed ducts. Consequently, with nowhere to go, the rainwater simply overflows on the middle of the road, causing inconvenience for residents and commuters.”
Neeraj Thakur, a resident of the Molly area in Dharamsala, said the natural drainage system along roads in their area had been destroyed to create raised footpaths under the Smart City projects.
Now during rainfall, water coming from the adjoining hills directly flows on to the road. The rainwater also brings in gravel, which is left on the road, making it difficult for commuters to drive through this road.
Notably, the construction of roadside ducts in Dharamsala has remained controversial for a while now. The municipal corporation had cancelled the contract for constructing ducts along the smart road due to the delay and poor quality of work a few months ago. This work was later allotted to another company, which has been given an extension in contract to complete the work.
