CHANDIGARH, June 23 — With the monsoon knocking at the door, residents across Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula are growing anxious over the lack of timely road gully cleaning — a critical measure to prevent flooding that wreaked havoc during last year’s rains.
Despite repeated assurances, most of the region’s stormwater drains remain clogged. In Chandigarh, where last monsoon saw widespread waterlogging and traffic paralysis, particularly in the low-lying southern sectors, many gullies are still choked. The delay has revived fears of a repeat of last year’s chaos.
In neighbouring Mohali, the situation is equally dire. The cleaning of its 23,000 road gullies only began in the third week of June — unusually late for a task considered essential ahead of the rains. Of these, 9,500 gullies fall under the Public Health Department, 8,500 under the Municipal Corporation, and 5,000 under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).
A senior official in the Public Health Department confirmed that only 2,500 gullies had been cleaned so far. “Work is underway, but we are clearly running behind schedule,” the official admitted.
In Panchkula, barely half of the city’s 5,000 road gullies have been cleaned. What’s worse, civic bodies — including the Municipal Corporation (MC), Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), and the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) — are being criticised for what many residents say are “superficial” cleaning efforts.
“Only the surface is cleared. The debris is dumped beside the gully, which ends up back inside with the next rain,” said SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association in Sector 15. “Why do tenders for cleaning get floated in April or May? How can you clean the entire city’s drainage in one or two months?” he asked.
Colonel SK Datta (Retd.), president of the Sector 12 RWA, echoed the concern, saying pre-monsoon desilting must begin much earlier to be effective. “Once the rains arrive, it’s already too late,” he said.
Waterlogging has become an annual ordeal in several Panchkula sectors including 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15 through 19, as well as in the Trans-Ghaggar region, Indira Colony, Rajiv Colony, and Budhanpur village.
In Mohali, recent rains have already exposed the inefficiency of the system. Waterlogging outside the newly built General Hospital in Sector 6 disrupted access to the facility, raising fresh concerns about the state of emergency preparedness.
“We’re using machines for desilting, and the process is ongoing,” said a Municipal Corporation official, when asked about complaints of incomplete work.
Some citizens have come forward with practical suggestions. “Deploying dedicated staff during monsoon months to monitor and address gully blockages could help prevent flooding,” said Mohit Gupta, a resident of Sector 25.
With monsoon clouds gathering, the clock is ticking fast. But for residents, déjà vu is sinking in — the fear that civic complacency may once again drown their hopes for a dry and safe season.
