First monsoon showers expose ill-preparedness in Chandigarh

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The first spell of monsoon, which lasted for about two hours, caused severe waterlogging on several roads in the city. Knee-deep water on various roads exposed the tall claims of the Municipal Corporation (MC) and the UT Administration to have cleaned 95 per cent of the road gullies under the MC jurisdiction and 93 per cent under the UT Engineering Department.

The streets of CHB houses near Colony No. 4 and at Industrial Area were also waterlogged. Some residents complained water entered their houses and they had a tough time draining it out. A woman was also electrocuted after rainwater entered her house. She was hospitalised.

Meanwhile, an MC official said the drainage system had been designed to handle 15mm/hour rainfall in the northern sectors and 20mm/hour rainfall in the southern sectors. There was waterlogging in the city during heavy rain, but rainwater receded after some time, he said.

The MC has also formed teams to address the problem of clogged road gullies, he said, adding that 24×7 control rooms have been set up to deal with the complaints of waterlogging and stagnation of water at Sector 15 (0172-2540200) and at Mani Majra (0172-2738082). To deal with any eventuality during the monsoon season, the MC has deployed 150 multitask workers equipped with necessary tools and equipment. A 24×7 control room has also been set up to monitor the water level of the Sukhna Lake.