Waterlogging in low-lying areas in Ambala City

Several low-lying areas, including the clothes market in Ambala City witnessed waterlogging due to rain since Saturday night. Railway underbridges, clothes market, Nadi Mohalla, Bus stand, Congress Bhawan road, Jagadhri gate, Durga Nagar, Sector 9 and various wards witnessed waterlogging.

Like every rainy season, vehicles were found stuck under the Inco underbridge due to waterlogging. While the residents expressed disappointment due to the inconvenience caused, the municipal councillors claimed that the situation had improved compared to previous years.

Gian Parkash Kansal, press secretary of RWE, Sector 9, Ambala City, said, “Last night several localities of Ambala City witnessed waterlogging and even during the day there was water in the low-lying areas. People had suffered heavy losses two years back and there is a sense of insecurity among the people. The administration had been making tall claims about the cleaning of the drains, and the Mayor has been visiting the major points and drains, but more efforts are required to prevent waterlogging.”

Rajiv Kumar, a shopkeeper, said, “Despite tall claims of the administration, waterlogging has been experienced in the cloth market. This is the same story every year for the shopkeepers in the cloth market and nearby areas. Even a brief spell of rain leaves the roads waterlogged, and it takes hours for the water to recede.”

Congress leader and member of Ambala Municipal Councillor from Ward 10, Mithun Verma, said, “It rained heavily last night and it resulted in waterlogging. However, compared to previous years, the water was receding swiftly and effectively. BJP leader Last night Sandeep Sachdeva also visited the area and extended support so that the water was drained out from the affected areas. We have been saying this from the beginning that during the times of trouble, the ruling and opposition parties should work together to resolve the problem. We have been getting calls from all affective areas and pumps are being arranged to drain out the water.”

Sandeep Sachdeva, nominated member of Ambala Municipal Corporation and husband of Mayor Shailja Sachdeva, said, “We have been visiting all affected area and we have observed that the areas where water used to remain stagnant for a couple of days, has drained out within a few hours. Sincere efforts have been made this year to clean the drains and the bottlenecks have been removed. We are focusing on the low-lying areas and pumps have been installed to drain out the water.”

“We have also observed that the water level of the pond in Mahavir Park should have been decreased so that the water from Nahan Road, Nadi Mohalla, Friends Colony, Jagadhri Gate and Patel Road could have been diverted toward the pond. It would have allowed us to get the water drained out from these areas more swiftly. We will take up the matter with the officials. A pump will be soon set up at Inco drain to drain out the water”, the nominated member said.

Haryana Tribune