Srinagar: A few hours of heavy downpour caused extensive waterlogging in several localities in the summer capital causing inconvenience to people and disrupting traffic on major city routes.
Several areas including Ram Bagh, Natipora, Bemina, Bagh-e-Mehtab, Mehjoor Nagar, Indira Nagar, Aali Masjid, Abi Guzar, Alamgari Bazar, Alluchi Bagh, Barbar Shah, Barzulla Flyover, Batamaloo, Bishember Nagar, Chanapora, Court Road, Gojwara, Boulevard and Lal Chowk were among worst affected waterlogged areas.
The situation became critical as residents found it difficult to move freely due to waterlogged roads.
"People preferred to stay indoors because of waterlogged roads. It is impossible to move out of home just because of waterlogging," said one of the affected residents.
Traffic jams intensified on major thoroughfares, with a resident of Bemina reporting that it took nearly half an hour to travel from the inside colonies to the main street due waterlogged roads. The residents of Baghat Bazulla and adjoining areas said that the waterlogging crippled normal life there.
The residents of Friends colony in the area said that the early morning rainfall on Wednesday waterlogged the whole area. They said that the water has entered their lawns, and if authorities did not address the issue, their houses would be affected.
“It is a low-lying area, and we often face the issue. Since the morning rainfall, the issue has turned worse as the water has seeped into our lawns and houses,” said a local.
The residents said that the dewatering station in the area should be made to work at its full capacity so that the dewatering process is done swiftly.
“Authorities have invested a lot and set up infrastructure for the dewatering station, but unfortunately, it is not working to its full capacity. We want authorities to make the station functional 24/7 so that it can be effective,” said another resident from Friends Colony.
An official said that they are addressing the issue across Srinagar following the rains. “We will ensure that the issue is addressed, and teams on the ground will make sure that dewatering stations across Srinagar including Barzulla are working properly,” he said.
To address the waterlogging issues, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) promptly activated 95 static dewatering stations.
SMC's Mayor in a tweet said that the city's improved static mechanical dewatering capacity, which now stands at 2198 cusecs, up from 1470 cusecs in 2018.
GM Dar, an engineer of SMC said that the department was fully equipped to handle waterlogging issues in the city.
"There were few waterlogged areas where we have managed the issues well. Our men and machinery were on the ground. We have hundreds of dewatering mobile pumps that are always ready," he said.
He said that SMC received relatively fewer waterlogging complaints from different localities of Srinagar, indicating the efficiency of their response.” The control room promptly addressed incoming complaints and dispatched teams equipped with machinery to resolve issues, “he said.
