Amid rains, defunct drains cause waterlogging in Srinagar areas

Srinagar, Aug 15: Early morning rains in the summer capital disrupted normal life as the downpour caused waterlogging in several areas.

Residents of several city areas said that the problem was compounded by defunct drains which caused waterlogging.

Most of the areas in Downtown including Khanyar, Nowhatta, and Khwaja Bazar were waterlogged.

“The issue is time and again creating inconvenience to us. Over the past few weeks, all brief rain spells triggered massive waterlogging,” said Abid Ahmad, a local from Downtown. The locals said that despite the newly laid drainage network in Downtown, drains were overwhelmed with rainwater. “These drains were overflowing and all the water accumulated on the roads and adjacent residential areas.

These are the newly laid drains, and in a few months, this is the condition of the drainage system,” said a group of residents of Khwaja Bazar.

The commuters said that many roads are yet to be macadamised in Downtown areas. They said waterlogged potholes and dilapidated portions of roads hinder traffic movement.

“Over the past few weeks, few-minute rain spells are creating massive waterlogging. As the roads are in shambles, it gets risky for commuters to navigate. Many times, vehicles get stuck in potholes, resulting in damages. There is a huge risk of accidents, and the issue is also creating traffic jams in congested downtown, Ajaz Ahmad, a commuter, said.

The residents appealed to the authorities to ensure swift dewatering and fixing of the drainage system so that they wouldn’t suffer during rains.