Drainage woes: Mohali residents sore over ‘inaction’ of authorities

Even the recommendations to deal with drainage problems made by a team from Punjab Engineering College (PEC) have not been implemented. The PEC team, which was engaged by the Municipal Corporation, had submitted a detailed report suggesting measures to be taken to tackle the flaws and deficiencies in the drainage system.

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Speaking on the issue retired executive engineering of PUDA N.S. Kalsi said, “Paying no heed to the recommendations of the PEC committee, the corporation was putting the premix on the roads thus raising the level of the roads. Due to this reason the water enters in the houses of local residents because the level of the road has become higher than the houses located along it”.

Among the low lying phases are the phase-1, phase-4, phase-5,3B2, phase-11 and sector- 71. These sectors usually have the highest percentage of water logging problem as even the natural drainage system has also been destroyed over the years.

Kalsi said that, “The repeated putting of the premix layers has disturbed the plinth level of the houses resulting in water stagnating in front shops as well as in the residential areas.”

The footpaths which are supposed to be 9 inch above the road level according to standards laid down by the civil engineers, virtually now are of the same height as the roads in Mohali. “ The most damage in this regard has been caused in phase-5 where the footpaths and roads have been brought to the same level leading to bottlenecks in drainage system” added Kalsi.

Advocate Tarun Arora, a resident of phase- 5 said, “Due to pooling of water in the market area of this phase during the rainy season, it becomes difficult to enter the shops. The pooling of water is not the only problem faced by us. As after the drying up of water, the footpaths along the roads become slippery due to accumulation of slush often leading accidents.” There are three rivulets for the drainage of rain water. But these are also not being used to their full potential because the existing drainage system often fails to take the water to these rivulets. The PEC had suggested that rivulets should be used to drain out river water. “We have given so many representations to the corporation and the GMADA authorities. Till no action has been taken ”, said Tarun Arora.