Heavy rains cause waterlogging in Srinagar areas

Srinagar, Aug 18: Heavy rains in the summer capital offered much-needed respite from the heatwave, however, it also exposed fragile civic infrastructure, especially the defunct drainage system, causing inconvenience to commuters.

Waterlogging was witnessed in several areas including MA Road, Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street, Batamaloo, Khanyar, Bohri Kadal. The showers, however, also exposed the fragile civic infrastructure in the summer capital, where waterlogged potholes, broken roads, and open manholes added to the miseries of commuters.

While the downpour gave Srinagar cool weather, many roads across the city turned into pools of muddy water. Commuters in the Downtown and Hazratbal areas bore the brunt, with residents lamenting the poor condition of roads.

“Even a brief shower makes many roads here look like ponds. The potholes are so deep that once they fill with rainwater, you can’t see them. It is dangerous for both commuters and pedestrians,” said Nasir Ahmad, a resident of Downtown Srinagar. He added that the waterlogged stretches often force people to wade through dirty water.

At Hazratbal and adjoining areas, locals said several road stretches have been awaiting blacktopping for years. They said that during the rains, it becomes hard to navigate. “The road near our locality has been in shambles for a long time. In the rain, the potholes turn into ditches, and it becomes impossible for two-wheelers to pass safely,” said Muneer Ahmad, a resident of Hazratbal.

Locals also decried the menace of open manholes, calling them a “death trap.”

“Driving in Srinagar during the rains has become a nightmare. You don’t know whether you will hit a waterlogged pothole or an open manhole. Both can be fatal. Authorities need to act before accidents claim more lives,” said Suhail Ahmad, a commuter from uptown Srinagar.