Rain batters region, leaves Patiala roads waterlogged

Tribune News Service

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, March 20

The city was left inundated as heavy rain battered the region today. Several areas in presented a picture of its defeated and sorry sewerage system, which affects the life of residents and commuters every rainy season.

The Meteorological Department issued an orange warning and said the region received light thunderstorms with maximum surface wind speed less than 40 km per hour (kmph). It reported moderate to intense rain and thunderstorms with lightning, accompanied by gusty winds (40-50 kmph).

Meanwhile, the Patiala region received 28 mm rainfall during the day today, leaving many areas waterlogged. While the areas adjoining Bhadson Road received hailstorm, the Jorian Bhathiyan area, Namdar Khan Road, New Officers’ Colony, Sewak Colony, the road adjoining the Railway Crossing Nos. 22, 23 and others, witnessed waterlogging. This resulted in traffic chaos at the Leela Bhawan area, near the city bus stand, Tripuri Market and many other places.

Residents pointed towards the apathetic attitude of the previous governments and said waterlogged roads had become synonymous with the city’s name. “People from other cities try to avoid visiting Patiala during the rainy season in July and August. This time, we are witnessing waterlogging in February as well. The waterlogged roads hamper life every year,” Somraj, a city resident said.

Another resident said, “All political parties are to be equally blamed for the lapses in managing the flow of rainwater and sewage water in the city. Governments have failed to complete the city’s only dairy shifting project which was aimed at giving a respite to its regularly clogged sewerage system. The corporation had spent Rs 18 crore on the project, which has not yet seen the light of day.”

While officials of the corporation said they had alerted the municipal teams to clear the blocked rainwater, leaders of various political parties launched a protest. Jaspal Singh Bittu Chatha of the Shiromani Akali Dal said the roads in some areas of the city were already broken. “The rainwater and waterlogging worsened the situation in the area. The state government has failed to carry out development works,” he added.