Chandigarh, Sept. 4 — The Tricity witnessed its heaviest rainfall in recent memory, leaving large parts of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula waterlogged and bringing normal life to a halt. Commuters heading to workplaces were the worst hit, with many unable to reach their destinations as roads turned into virtual streams.
The downpour began late Tuesday night and continued till Wednesday morning, followed by intermittent showers through the day. The record spell forced the Sukhna Lake floodgates to be opened for the ninth time this monsoon after the water level crossed the danger mark of 1,163 feet. The release flooded the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream that drains into the Ghaggar river.
With the Ghaggar in spate, seasonal rivulets such as Patiala Ki Rao and Jayanti Ki Rao also overflowed, along with numerous nullahs. Low-lying areas in Kishangarh, Bapu Dham Colony, Industrial Areas, Bhankharpur, Zirakpur, Dera Bassi, Morni, Barwala, Pinjore, Raipur Rani and nearby villages reported flooding. Several roads, bridges and causeways suffered extensive damage.
Mohali and Panchkula bore the brunt, where waterlogging crippled major stretches, including the 200-foot-wide road leading to the international airport. Long snarls paralysed traffic across the Tricity as vehicles got stranded in knee-deep water. Even by late evening, several roads and bridges remained closed to vehicular movement.
Rainwater entered houses, shops, godowns and even government offices, causing heavy damage to property. Standing crops, kutcha houses and sheds in adjoining villages also suffered losses. While widespread flooding was reported, no loss of life had been confirmed till reports last came in.
In Chandigarh, conditions were relatively better than in the satellite towns, though nearly all major roads and roundabouts were submerged. Key junctions such as Tribune Chowk, Labour Chowk, ISBT-43, ISBT-17, Press Chowk, Transport Chowk, and several southern sectors were gridlocked. With traffic lights failing, only a handful of traffic personnel were seen regulating vehicles, leaving motorists fuming at the lack of enforcement.
Weathermen recorded 133 mm rainfall in Panchkula, 91.4 mm in Chandigarh, and 73.5 mm in Mohali in the past 24 hours — a spell that once again underscored the failure of the Tricity’s drainage system. “This was unexpected and unavoidable, but handled efficiently,” officials claimed. However, residents dismissed these statements as hollow and demanded accountability for the civic collapse.
Adding to the chaos, trees and electric poles were uprooted in several areas, damaging parked vehicles and disrupting power, telephone and Internet services. While authorities maintained the situation was under control by late evening, many residents were still struggling to clear rainwater from their homes and shops.
