Rain chokes sewerage system

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 17

Around 80 per cent of the sewerage system in the city is lying choked. Only 10 mm rainfall was enough to waterlog city areas.

Although water did not accumulate in the low-lying Sirki Bazaar, Power House Road and District Administrative Complex area these areas did not receive much rain on Tuesday.

However, Paras Ram Nagar main road in the trans-railway line area was the most affected as three-four feet water got accumulated there.

Seeing the grim situation, Municipal Commissioner Dr Rishipal Singh started holding meetings with officials over the rainwater disposal issue right from the morning.

Later, he called a meeting with the Mayor, Finance & Contract Committee (F&CC) members and officials over the issue and held discussion over taking the desilting work in their own hands as the Sewerage Board and Triveni company were not doing the work properly.

Even in a day or so, F&CC meeting would be called in which approval would be granted for the expenditure to be incurred on sewerage desilting.

After the rain, sewage started overflowing in various areas and the condition was such that rainwater was less than the sewage accumulated on the roads.

Two days ago, the Weather Department had predicted rain in the city, after which the MCB, Sewerage Board and Triveni company had constituted teams for the rainwater disposal.

They claimed that residents would not face any problem due to waterlogging in the city.

It was said employees had been assigned duties at the motors so that after the rain, within two-three hours, the rainwater would be disposed of. However, till 3 pm it was seen accumulated on the main road at Paras Ram Nagar.

Former councillor Vijay Kumar placed ran a balloon swimming tub on the waterlogged main road of Paras Ram Nagar and helped the students of Shaheed Sandeep Singh Senior Secondary School reach home in the tub.

Vijay Kumar attacked Finance Minister Manpreet Badal saying that the latter had promised that this year the city would not face the problem of waterlogging, but a little rain exposed the claims.