Monsoon hits Sirsa: Streets flooded, farmers heave a sigh of relief

The monsoon made a powerful entry in Sirsa district on Thursday, bringing both relief and chaos. Around 12 noon, the city witnessed heavy rain for nearly an hour, with the Indian Meteorological Department reporting 86 mm of rainfall. While the downpour brought much-needed relief from the intense summer heat, it also exposed the poor drainage system in the city, leading to severe waterlogging in many areas.

Streets turned into streams, and most roads, markets and residential areas were submerged. The ongoing drainage work under the AMRUT-2 project further worsened the situation. Deep pits dug across the city and in the grain market had not been properly filled back, making roads unsafe, especially for two-wheeler riders who faced major difficulties navigating the water-filled streets.

Over the past few days, Sirsa had been experiencing light showers, but Thursday’s rain was the first full monsoon rain. From the morning, clouds had covered the sky, and by afternoon, they opened up across the district. The temperature dropped sharply, bringing much-needed comfort from humidity. According to weather officials, light to moderate rainfall is expected in the next 48 to 72 hours.

But with the first heavy rain, flooding hit low-lying areas in the city. Key market zones like Hisar Road, Rania Road, Bhadra Road and streets near the grain market were flooded, causing problems for shopkeepers and pedestrians.

Manmohit Taneja, a local shopkeeper, said though waterlogging in Sirsa was a regular monsoon issue, this time, the situation clearly showed that the administration was not prepared. Taneja said, drains were clogged and the lack of proper drainage caused water to collect on major roads like Hisar Road, Janata Bhawan Road and Begu Road. In many places, water reached knee-level and two-wheelers were seen slipping and getting stuck in muddy patches.

Other locals like Devesh Kumar, Jaswinder Singh, Rahul Verma and Praveen Kumar expressed frustration, saying, “Every year it’s the same. The authorities make promises on paper, but the drains stay blocked. There is no way for the rainwater to drain out”

Important locations like Parshuram Chowk, Bus Stand, Ambedkar Chowk, Dabwali Road, Sangwan Chowk, Rori Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar, and Barnala Road were all heavily waterlogged. The traffic slowed to a crawl and walking became difficult with water even entering some shops. Men and women were seen carrying their footwear in hand, wading through water in the markets. Water remained on the streets till late evening, although municipal staff began pumping out water in many areas.

While the city suffered, the rain brought hope and happiness to the farmers in nearby villages. With the fields soaked, kharif crop sowing will now speed up. The farmers like Vinod Bhatiwal, Shriram Marmunda, Krishan Naukhewal and Banwari Taak said the rain would benefit paddy and cotton crops, increase soil moisture and reduce irrigation costs. Especially for those farmers whose paddy seedlings were ready, the timing of the rain was perfect. Other crops like guar, cotton and narma will also benefit.

Haryana Tribune