Heavy rainfall leaves city court complex submerged, judicial work comes to standstill

Torrential rainfall since last night left the Ludhiana District Court Complex waterlogged, completely disrupting judicial functioning on Monday. The entire premises, including the parking area, was submerged under two to three feet of rainwater, forcing courts to suspend hearings for the day.

The continuous downpour not only threw normal life out of gear but also paralysed judicial proceedings, as court functioning came to a halt due to lawyers, litigants and staff being unable to reach the premises. The situation worsened when several lawyers’ and judges’ vehicles were seen stranded due to the flood-like situation in parking area. Judges, too, faced difficulty in parking their cars, while court staff and clients found it nearly impossible to wade through the stagnant water.

On account of these hardships, District Bar Association (DBA) president Vipin Saggar and secretary Himanshu Walia appealed to the judiciary to ensure that no adverse orders were passed against any client or due to non-appearance of munshi, or lawyer for failing to appear in court due to the exceptional circumstances. Acting on the request, most hearings were adjourned for the day, giving much relief to those who could not reach the court complex.

Apart from the parking, several other areas inside the court premises also witnessed severe waterlogging, with rainwater levels ranging between two and three feet.

The lack of a proper drainage system in the complex has once again come under sharp criticism, as repeated episodes of waterlogging during monsoon continue to cause inconvenience.

DBA members, including former presidents Harish Rai Dhanda , K R Sikri, Naval Kishore Chhiber, Jagmohan Warraich, Parupkar Singh Ghumman, Chetan Verma and others, urged the district administration to immediately intervene and chalk out a permanent drainage and water disposal solution for the problem. They stressed that the issue was not only causing inconvenience but also bringing the judicial system to a standstill whenever heavy rains lashed the city.

The incident has highlighted the urgent need for infrastructural upgrades, as thousands of litigants and lawyers depend on the smooth functioning of the court on a daily basis. The DBA has warned that unless remedial measures are taken soon, such disruptions will continue to hamper the administration of justice.