Doraha gets waterlogged after rain, residents rue MC apathy

Every year, the story is the same again—- Doraha getting inundated and people in the town getting trapped in the rainwater. The early morning downpour left Doraha town flooded to the extent that everything came to a standstill and the shopkeepers, residents and passersby had no other option but to silently observe God’s bounty and the Municipal Council’s inadequacy.

The moment it pours, Doraha gets inundated for the next few hours. Not only the railway road but Lakkar Mandi, Guru Nanak Pura Mohalla, Bhaina Wali Gali, Vishwakarma Road, Dr Rajwant Road, ward number 1,2, 5, 6,7 and 8, all look alike. “It has been years that the residents have been urging the Municipal Council to show a bit of concern but the latter remains unmoved and the situation, every year, keeps worsening,” rued Harjiwan Pal Singh Gill, a resident of the area.

“It has been more than 15 years now. Governments have changed but the situation remains the same. Pleas, dharnas, marches and protests have simply borne no fruit and the situation, instead of improving, has aggravated with the passage of time,” president of the Government Pensioners Association, Doraha, Pawan Kumar Kaushal stated.

A social activist of the area, Ranjit Singh Tiwana, shared, “We were already prepared to face such a situation but unfortunately have no means to cope with it. The moment it pours, the entire town gets flooded and the vehicles start breaking down. Everything comes to a standstill and there is no question of the situation normalising soon.”

Barjinder Jandu, another social activist, rued, “We fail to understand that when the authorities are well aware that the monsoons are at hand and the town is going to pass through the same critical situation as in the past, why can’t they think of remedial or preventive measures? If their attitude is such, how can they expect the public to be at their beck and call and support them. It is really shameful that the officers lack even this much common sense and cannot think of a solution beforehand. They have failed to look into the technicalities and are just in for temporary amends every time due to which the condition has deteriorated all the more.”

Sanitary Superintendent Vishnu Dutt, when contacted, said the Municipal Council is aware of the problem. “We had made prior preparations for the monsoon season but as it poured in torrents, it was but natural for the town to get inundated. But we are always on the guard and our employees are working to evacuate people in the minimum possible time,” the Sanitary Superintendent added.

Ludhiana