Rain spell exposes defunct drainage system in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 1: A few hours of rain exposed a defunct drainage system in the summer capital with vehicular and pedestrian movement severely hit due to waterlogging.

This has raised question marks on the efficacy of the new drainage system in city with people terming it as sheer wastage of money. After a spell of rains, several areas including Khanyar, Nowhatta, Makhdoom Sahib, Kadi Kadal, Rangar Stop, TRC, Bahauddin Sahib, and adjoining areas witnessed massive waterlogging due to drainage failure.

“It was shocking to see most of the roads in the city waterlogged. It was a flood-like situation with chaos all around. All this mess occurred due to the failure of the newly constructed drainage system. We demand a probe by an independent agency into the quality of drainage construction,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, an aggrieved local from Downtown.

At several places in Downtown, drainage water overwhelmed the newly laid drains, with water flowing through manholes. “It is surprising that newly laid drains and macadamised roads in Downtown were overwhelmed by rainwater. This is sheer wastage of public money. Government must fix accountability and punish concerned contractors and engineers for ill-conceived drainage system,” said a group of residents at Khanyar.

At Bahauddin Sahib locality, the failure of newly laid drainage triggered waterlogging. Many videos surfaced on social media showing water entering residential houses in the area. The locals decried that contractors had not carried out work properly.

“Where are we supposed to go? We want the government to pay us and buy our properties because we are left in the lurch here. You can see how we have drainage water inside our homes. We have removed all mattings, and we feel homeless right now,” said Manzoor Ahmad, an aggrieved resident of Downtown. The waterlogging of roads led to major traffic issues in the Uptown and Downtown areas. Commuters said that traffic movement was hindered as the waterlogging posed a serious risk of accidents.

“In Downtown areas, auto rickshaws, e-rickshaws, cabs, and other vehicles got stuck on waterlogged roads. With potholes on the roads, the situation was even worse, and there was a risk of accidents throughout the day. Passengers had a tough time today, and we hope authorities will look into this issue,” said Adil Ahmad, a cab operator.

When contacted, officials from Srinagar Smart City Ltd did not respond to multiple calls from this reporter for their comments on the situation.