Monday mess: ‘Monsoon ready’ claims fall flat

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 20

The tall claims of the Municipal Corporation (MC) about monsoon-preparedness fell flat after the Monday morning rain, which submerged various parts of the city. Commuters were seen struggling on water-logged roads.

Several roads and localities, including Sodal Road, Pathankot Bypass, Rama Mandi Road, Railway Road, Damoria Flyover underbridge, Lamba Pind Chowk, Ladowali Road, BMC Chowk, Model Town, Preet Nagar, Industrial area, Ram Nagar colony among others, turned into water streams, causing severe inconvenience to rickshaw-pullers, motorists, car drivers and auto operators.

Residents slammed the civic body, saying: “The accumulation of water on roads is not a new affair during rains. We have now become habitual. But what amazes us is that the MC, even after so many years, has failed to find a solution for this age-old problem.”

They complained that desilting of drains was not done on time which was the major reason behind choking of sewer lines in many locations.

Arun Kumar, a shopkeeper at Doaba Chowk, said: “Water-logging is witnessed on the entire stretch whenever it rains heavily. The authorities don’t pay heed to our complaints. Rainwater flows into our shops and enters homes in Preet Nagar, Aman Nagar, Ram Nagar Colony and even Kusht Ashram.”

Another commuter Keshav Arora, who was spotted at BMC Chowk struggling to get his bike out of a pothole, filled with water, said, this was not happening for the first time with him as in the past, too, he had met with an accident due to water accumulation on roads.

“Due to water-logging, one fails to recognise potholes in one go and usually ends up either falling off the vehicle or getting stuck there. For persons driving a car, this might not be a serious issue, but for two-wheelers, it is fatal,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that the MC officials are not learning any lesson from the past. They claim that they are prepared and equipped to tackle the problem of water-logging in the city. But, the ground reality is completely opposite,” Arora said.

Rajinder Singh, a resident of Model Town, said: “The city has already been inducted into the smart city project list, but a lot of work needs to be done. The problem of water-logging can be seen in even posh localities. It is tough for commuters to commute safely.”