Rain leaves Sirsa under water; farmers rejoice, hope for good harvest

Rain lashed Sirsa in the last two days, leaving urban areas waterlogged and residents struggling. Meanwhile, farmers across the district are celebrating as the much-needed rain brings new hope for a successful crop season.

On Tuesday afternoon, dark clouds once again covered the skies, which was followed by heavy showers. The downpour turned several low-lying parts of the city into water-filled streets. Areas such as Gaushala Road, Gol Diggi, Parshuram Chowk, Hisar Road, Ambedkar Chowk, Bus Stand, Civil Lines, Shiv Chowk, Rania Road and Suratgaria Bazaar experienced severe waterlogging. In many places, rainwater even entered homes, causing inconvenience and damage.

The situation worsened as the city’s sewage overflowed, mixing dirty water with the drinking supply in several homes. Many residents were forced to buy bottled water after foul-smell emanated from black water coming out from their taps. The residents complained that every time it rained, they faced the same issue of contaminated water entering their homes.

Tuesday’s rain measured 50 mm. Due to the constant showers, the temperature in the district dropped by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius, with a maximum of 31°C and a minimum of 26°C.

While the city dwellers faced trouble, the rain brought smiles to the faces of farmers. Fields across villages such as Chopta, Ellenabad, Ding, Jamal, Rania, Dabwali, and Kalanwali were filled with water. The farmers welcomed the rain, especially as it came at the right time for kharif crops. The rain is proving beneficial for paddy and the farmers have begun applying fertilisers and working on other crops such as guar, bajra, cotton, and narma.

Local farmers Ram Swaroop, Shriram, Ramkumar, and Krishan Kumar said the timely and sufficient rain had boosted their hopes for a good harvest this season.

However, in the city, the rain has exposed the poor drainage system. Despite tall claims by the municipal council and Public Health Department that four pump sets were installed for water drainage, no major improvement was seen. Areas such as Shah Satnam Ji Marg, Preet Nagar, Kalyan Nagar, Shanti Nagar, Paper Mill Area, and Kanganpur Road were flooded with up to 2 ft of water. The water entered shops near Soni Dharamshala and the shopkeepers spent the day manually removing it with buckets.

The water also remained standing on roads near the Government Girls Senior Secondary School on Begu Road, disrupting movement. The angry shopkeepers demanded immediate and permanent solutions, blaming poor planning and vehicle movement for worsening the situation.

Public Health officials said due to the non-stop rain, many city areas were waterlogged. They assured the residents that pump sets were installed at Surkhab Chowk, near KV-2 School, Kanganpur,and Civil Hospital Road, and water would be cleared from the roads by late night.

Haryana Tribune