Commuters at receiving end

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 17

Commuters had a harrowing time going to their workplaces as they navigate through the waterlogged roads following rain in the city today morning. Many of them could not go to their workplaces, while there were many who reached their offices late.

“I had to face lot of problems in reaching my office. Not only my shoes and trousers below the knees were wet, but these were stinking of because of sewage water that got mixed with rainwater, much to my embarrassment in the office,” said Rahul, who works as an executive at Feroze Gandhi market.

Several office-goers reached late because their vehicles developed a snag as they tried to wade through the waterlogged roads. “I had no choice but to move ahead as water was there at every route. However, my bike developed some snag and I got stranded. I reached my office near Samrala Chowk two-and-a-half hours late,” said Rumit Verma, a resident.

“Those in cars still managed to reach their destinations, but it is a double trouble for commuters on two-wheelers, who had to drive through rain and face flooded roads,” SK Narang, a resident said.

“It is total failure of the civic authorities to make proper arrangements to check waterlogging during the rainy season. Those in power don’t do anything. Had it happened in some developed country, the municipality would have been sued for the crass inefficiency. But here neither the system is efficient nor law to hold officers accountable,” Varinder Singh, another resident, pointed out.