First monsoon rain cripples Ludhiana, roads cave in and water supply contaminated
The rainfall began around midnight and continued for over three hours, leaving residents in many localities struggling with its aftermath
One spell of rainfall — lasting about 3-4 hours late Wednesday night — not only exposed the preparedness of the Municipal Corporation authorities, but also brought misery to residents in different parts of the city.
While a major portion of a road caved in at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Pakhowal Road, residents of Chander Nagar, Civil Lines, woke up to contaminated water supply through their taps. Dairy owners and residents in areas around Haibowal also faced a tough time as rainwater entered their premises in the wee hours.
The rainfall began around midnight and continued for over three hours, leaving residents in many localities struggling with its aftermath.
RTI activist Arvind Sharma said that the road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar under the 475 Acre Scheme was severely damaged and caved in following the rains. Sharma pointed out that this was the third time the road had been damaged, putting many lives at risk. “It has been the first rainfall of the season and everything has come to the fore,” he rued.
At the same time, residents of Street No. 1/6, Chander Nagar, Civil Lines, woke up to contaminated water supply from their taps at around 5.30 am today. Resident Amarjeet Singh complained that sewer-mixed water had been supplied in the area, with a highly pungent sewer smell.
“This poses a serious health risk to our families. Whenever we bring it to the notice of the MC, they say the problem lies within our houses. But if that were the case, we would have been getting contaminated water all the time. The problem arises only after the rains,” said Singh.
Residents and dairy owners in the Haibowal area also struggled with waterlogging as rainwater entered their premises due to the poor drainage system.
Harnek Singh, a dairy owner, said that the excessive water entering the premises made it difficult to manage the animals and carry out milching. “There is no proper drainage system and the sewers are choked. These are the first rains of the season, and look at the condition of the roads and the waterlogging,” he added.
Meanwhile, a video of Mayor Inderjit Kaur visiting areas along the Buddha Nullah late last night has gone viral on social media. She is seen assessing the water level in the nullah and has reportedly directed MC staff to remain alert and stay in the field to monitor the situation.
