Rain washes away tall claims of Ambala civic body

Nearly an hour of downpour on Tuesday morning led to waterlogging in several areas of Ambala city.

Residents complained of waterlogging because of blocked drains that were not cleaned properly. The problem was reported from Sector 9, 10, Jagadhari gate road, Shakul Kund road, Manali House etc. Severe waterlogging was reported near the Kalka Mor on National Highway-44 where the vehicles were seen crawling to avoid large pits that were filled with rainwater.

Residents alleged that the civic body only cleans dry waste over the drains and does not open them due to which water remains on roads for hours.

A shopkeeper Anil said that every year roads are filled with water even after half-an-hour of rain. “Customers are not visiting markets due to the fear of Covid-19 pandemic and now waterlogging is adding to our woes,” he said.

Posh areas like Manali House and Sectors 9 and 10 also reported waterlogging in some lanes. SDM Gauri Midha along with MC officials had visited the same sectors last week to take stock of the situation. She had directed the municipal authorities to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, MC commissioner Parth Gupta said that rainwater was gradually cleared in most of the areas but Kalka Mor area is not under his jurisdiction.

“Due to heavy rains, the main drains near Nahan House and Shukul Kund road were initially full due to the water flow from interiors but later it cleared the water from peripheral areas as well. Nine pumping stations were also operating and we’ve already done extensive cleaning to ensure waterlogging doesn’t occur,” said Gupta.