Panipat main markets waterlogged after rain, courtesy plastic waste

The rain on Tuesday evening left all markets of the city waterlogged as stormwater drains on NH-44 and sewer lines got choked with plastic waste.

Shopkeepers as well as the commuters faced problems due to waterlogged roads and foul smell of the sewage flowing in all markets, including Insar market, Chaura Bazar, Palika market, Mahavir Bazar and Gurdwara Road.

Vishal Verma, general secretary, Samyukta Vyapar Mandal Samiti, said all sewer lines in the markets were choked due to which the shopkeepers were inconvenienced. Gaurav Leekha, general secretary, Samyukta Vyapar Mandal, said the L&T company had made a 10-km elevated highway in Panipat in 2008 and was charging toll since it became operational. As per the tender conditions, the L&T company had to maintain the stormwater drains on both sides of NH-44, but it has failed to do so.

The Deputy Commissioner has strictly directed the L&T company to clean these stormwater drains prior to monsoon, but it failed to clean these.

Due to the rain on Tuesday evening, the main sewer line on NH-44 got choked which led to waterlogging in the markets. The company has opened the blockages with the help of earthmoving machines. A huge amount of plastic bottles, polythenes, garbage, clothes, glass bottles were drained out from the stormwater drain on Wednesday, after which the water got drained out from the markets, Leekha said. Dr Pankaj Yadav, Commissioner, MC, said the main reason behind the choking of stormwater drains was plastic waste. The drains were choked with the plastic garbage as the shopkeepers threw the plastic waste in the drains, he said.

Meanwhile, L&T has been directed to clean the drain properly, so that problem should not re-occur, the Commissioner added.