Heavy rain leaves Patiala flooded
Aman Sood
Patiala, July 10
Rainwater flooded many city areas leading to huge financial losses to house owners and shopkeepers. Rainwater laced with sewage entered their premises following the heavy rain.
Roads were blocked in many parts, while poor drainage left residents to fend for themselves. A shortage of staff with the Municipal Corporation added to the residents’ woes.
The heavy rain on Monday, with around 140 mm of rainfall, left most parts of the district flooded. Let alone Patiala city, which is regularly affected by collection of rainwater, all parts of the district faced acute waterlogging, which forced the district administration to depute special area magistrates and issue alerts for safety precautions.
Meanwhile, Patiala city’s sewerage system completely failed, as a result, water overflowed into houses.
A majority of the areas in the city were flooded and most shops were shut due to the flooding. In certain areas on Sirhind Road, Anaj Mandi, Shera Wala Gate, Urban Estate and colonies on the outskirts near the Badi Nadi had over four feet of water. People found it difficult to move out due to waterlogged roads.
“It was only after 3 pm that we could move out of the house that, too, only on foot to fetch essential items. After an hour when the rain stopped, the water levels are still over three feet,” said a resident.
In the Police Lines, houses were left flooded while walls of many houses collapsed. In the Urban Estate area, water entered the residential areas leading to panic among residents as the district administration made arrangements for them.
“Given the situation of rising waters of the Badi Nadi and it entering into the premises of the Urban Estate, we are evacuating at Urban Estate 2 and Chinar Bagh. Phase 1 is on alert. I will reiterate that please don’t panic. I am at the spot with my team and arrangements have been done at the Radha Soami Dera. Water levels are expected to rise at night and hence we have to take this precaution,” said Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney in a message late evening.
The Indian Meteorological Department said Patiala received almost 140 mm rainfall on Monday. It received 59.8 mm in 24 hours till Sunday morning and 65 mm rainfall till evening. The temperatures in the region dropped down to a maximum of 26.8° Celsius.
Water flooded areas of old city area, Officers Colony, Tripuri, Police Lines, Charan Bagh, Lehal Colony, Punjabi Bagh, Model Town, Partap Nagar, DLF colony among others were left flooded the entire day as water entered houses and damaged vehicles parked on the roadside.
Residents of the Police Lines claimed every rain spell turned hell for them as rainwater accumulated near Bhawalpur Place and later entered government houses, as the new colony developed by PUDA had raised artificial walls to stop rainwater. Many walls of houses collapsed and vehicles damaged.
Shortage of staff with MC
For a big city like Patiala, the corporation has only 48 sewer men, majority of whom are on contract. “There is immediate need of more vehicles and staff to cover all 52 wards. We do not have even one person on an average for one municipal ward. We are working for the past three days for around 18 hours a day leaving our own houses to flush out water from various areas and low-lying houses. The government must consider recruiting more staff and regularising our service,” said a contract employee.
Repeated governments and MC councillors have done little in their areas to ensure no rain water flooding and rather they have been busy installing tiles on all areas which stops natural percolation of water into ground. “As a result water continues to accumulate leading to flood and blockage of sewer lines,” said a former chief engineer with the Irrigation Department, JS Sandhu. “Patiala is already flood-prone and it is high time the governments woke up to find a permanent solution and not just temporary flood relief work. Rainwater needs to be protected from flowing into sewerage and a solution to save it from flooding the city is the key,” he added.
Residents also pinned the blame on flooding and waterlogging on the Municipal Corporation and the district administration’s failure to properly enforce a ban on single-time-use polythene bags and plastic bottles. They said, “The polythene bags and bottles have been in use despite a ban on them in the city. Polythene bags discarded in the open led to blockage of sewer pipes.”
City sewerage collapses
The heavy rainfall and a lack of storm sewer lines in Patiala led to a breakdown of the city’s sewerage system. The clogging of sewer lines pushed back the sewer water into houses.
