Srinagar: Heavy spell of rain for 40 minutes inundated several areas in city centre here.
Heavy rainfall during late Wednesday evening caused water-logged areas like MA Road, Regal Chowk, Press Colony, Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Ram Bagh, Natipora, Barzulla and other areas.
Water entered several shops in these areas damaging goods worth lakhs of rupees. Despite being a part of the Smart City initiative aimed at modernising and developing the city's infrastructure, people allege authorities are ill-equipped to handle such rainfall.
The situation exposed the weaknesses in the drainage system, leaving citizens and business owners disappointed with the city's supposed progress.
One resident took to social media, sarcastically writing, “Very smart city. One should be smart enough to swim through these smart streets.”
Another resident questioned the lack of maintenance and proper disposal systems, saying, “Very strange how is it possible they have not maintained the level and disposal like deep soakage pits on either side of the road so that they can install a water pump to dispose of the rainwater.”
SE Drainage Circle SMC Shahi Jahan Mohammad Peer said that the drainage system was not faulty. “In fact the current drainage system was designed to cater to huge inflow. It was an unprecedented rainfall and waterlogging in this situation is quite normal.”
“There was 45.5mm of rainfall in just 40 minutes. So, the carrying capacity of drains is not that much. Also, there was a power shutdown and in this condition dewatering pumps cannot be used properly,” he said.
He said that the current rainfall occurred after many years and these rains have inundated the markets across the country like Delhi also. “Also, people throw food wrappers on roads and on the manholes due to which the rainwater doesn’t pass smoothly,” he added.
