This past month we received good rains, and occasionally it was a frightening downpour. Yesterday night it was pelting down. True we can’t help nature from acting in the ways that it does, but, at least, we can learn from the experience. Each time there are heavy rains our inefficient system get exposed. The weaknesses in our urban planning float on the surface. Just some hours, and we witness water-logging in city areas. In fact in many residential areas the water from the drains flows back into the housing compounds, almost inundating the residential areas. Fact of the matter is that the system of draining out rain water, or the usual household outflow, is very faulty in our city. This fault ridden system gives us trouble every time it rains a little more than usual. In the past, we have experienced how our market places, our streets, and some of our main roads get filled with the blow back from these drains. Needless to say that it affects the movement of pedestrians, and that of the vehicles. The question is why such a problem occurs repeatedly. Is there a structural fault that needs to be corrected. Is there a problem of dredging the drains, which hasn’t been done at the required scale.
Is there a problem of people being very negligent towards this public facility; allowing even solid mass to pass through the underground pipes. Is there a problem of daily maintenance of the drainage system. Is there a shortage of large sumps that can hold the extra water, till the time it can be drained out. Is there a problem in electric supply, or generators, that hinders the process of lifting the water, so that it can be drained in the final channel. The concerned authorities must first identify the problem that hurts the system, and then draw a comprehensive plan to correct it. If there are multiple problems, they must be corrected speedily. The concerned officers, and the staff of the relevant departments can also undertake a public awareness campaign to make people understand how this system works, what are the bottlenecks, and how each household needs to be mindful of what to allow, and what not to allow, through this drainage network. Unless these steps are taken in tandem our drainage system will keep giving troubles to us, and we will continue wading through the overflowing waters. The concerned departments, and the people on ground must take notice of this, and get started.