Deluge throws life out of gear in Bathinda

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 17

It’s a double whammy for city residents as many roads and localities remained submerged in water for the second consecutive day, while some areas have not received power from the last more than 37 hours. The city received 231 mm rain in the last two days.

The areas that remained waterlogged are Power House Road, Sirki Bazaar, Aggarwal Colony, Civil Lines, Paras Ram Nagar, Ajit Road, Bhatti Road and Ganesha Basti, besides roads around District Court Complex, District Administrative Complex and Mall Road among others.

In some localities, huge loss of household items has been reported as water entered into people’s houses. The affected residents alleged that belongings from senior officials’ houses were transferred to safer places using tractor and other means of transport, whereas no such arrangement was made for the common man.

Senior officers, including IGP Bathinda Range, District & Session Judge and the DC, whose residences are still submerged in knee-deep water, have been temporarily shifted to guest houses and hotels. Sanjeev Gupta, a resident of Power House road along with his family members, had to save their lives by moving to some safe place following Tuesday’s sudden downpour. A wall had collapsed and their house was submerged.

However, no relief was provided to them and today they tried to salvage whatever they could by hiring a tractor-trailer. Meanwhile, the movement of traffic remained severely affected. The railway under bridge on the Mansa road is still flooded with rainwater. PSPCL officials maintained that power was not restored as a precautionary measure to avoid any mishap.

Leaders pass the buck

"Manpreet had stopped sludge carrier line work aimed at doubling the capacity to drain out water from low-lying areas. He even diverted corporation funds to the Improvement Trust. This has compounded the problem of waterlogging. —Harsimat Badal, Union Minister 

"It is due to neglect by the SAD-ruled MC and lack of action by Mayor that Bathinda is facing such a situation. The core problem lay in the MoU that was signed by the previous SAD govt with a private firm, which includes the Centre as a party." —Manpreet Badal, Finance Minister