Showers of inconvenience and misery

Low-lying areas inundated in Khanna

KHANNA: A number of low-lying areas of Khanna city, including the office of Khanna Municipal Council, were inundated due to heavy rain. The most affected was Lalheri Road area, also known as Across Lines area, as there is no sewerage. Water-logging was witnessed in Sabzi Mandi, grain market, Subhash Bazar, Main Bazaar, Bank Colony and near residences of government officials. The library of Radha Vatika school was also inundated. As a result, the computers, CBSE record and other items were damaged. A portion of service road of the GT Road near Bhattian village in front of Green Land Hotel caved in, due to which the movement of traffic was stopped. Since the crops, fodder and vegetables were damaged, residents have demanded special Girdawari to access the damage to crops. The traffic on GT Road was hit due to water-logging. 

Traffic movement hit in Samrala

Samrala: Apart from damage to crops on hundreds of acres of land in Machhiwara, residents were caught in traffic snarls due to incessant rain. A portion of a road from Machhiwara to Canal side caved in resulting in stoppage of to and fro movement of vehicles of the farmers. Another portion of road from Ratipur to Powat was damaged affecting vehicular traffic. Due to heavy rain, crops in most parts of the area have been badly affected and people are demanding compensation. Meanwhile, Samrala MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon visited the affected areas with others and assured people of all help from the state government. — Gurminder Grewal

Underpasses flooded in Sahnewal, service lane users suffer

Doraha: Commuters were at the receiving end as regular downpours have inundated the underpasses constructed by the National Highways Authority of India. So fed up were the local residents of Sahnewal from the non-functional mode of the highway, that they erected a drain along an underpass on their own, but doing the same for every pass cannot be possible. Every time it pours, most of the underpasses are inundated with water to the extent that commuters have to travel several extra miles to discover a feasible one. Despite commuters reminding the private contractor deployed to keep the six-lane as well as service lanes along the NH user-worthy, the former, as usual, has failed to act. Resultantly, the service lanes now seem to be permanently fixed with deep potholes. “The private contractor, as usual, has made little preparation for the coming monsoon season. Every year we have to suffer and the authorities are very well aware of it. As it pours, all underpasses become impassable. The preparedness on the part of the authorities can well be imagined with drains finding no outlet due to blockage and rainwater stranded under the passes and on service lanes. As the water stagnates for days together, till the time it gets cleared, deep potholes develop and none again is there to rectify these for months,” said Dharampal of Dhandhari. “Commuters residing in Sahnewal have to travel at least 4 to 5 km towards the opposite side to find a working underpass. They are forced to leave at least four-five underpasses as they are so over brimmed with rainwater, that they are in no mood to hurt themselves. Not only the underpass of Sahnewal, but that of the adjoining villages Nandpur, Pawa Khagat, Jugiana, Dhandhari Kalan, etc. are all in a pitiable state,” said Rajiv Kapila of Sahnewal. “Though the NH-1 has six lanes, we have been deprived of our existing single lane as well. Many a times commuters are in a hurry to reach the other side, but we have to first choose between the underpasses as to which one is penetrable at that moment,” said a commuter. Hitesh, in-charge of repairs at Ladowal toll plaza, said he was very well aware of the sorry state of affairs and necessary repairs had already been initiated before the downpour, but rectification serves little purpose and potholes develop in no time. “Tomorrow, I will get the water evacuated from under the passes and get these rectified. Once it gets dry, bitumen will be fixed to render longevity,” he said. — Lovleen Bains