Heavy rain exposes municipal emergency system

Citizens struggle as ponds form on main roads

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A heavy downpour in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Saturday, accumulating 45 mm of rainfall, revealed a lack of drainage infrastructure in the city. Ponds formed on main roads, leaving motorists in distress, and casting doubts on the effectiveness of the municipal emergency system, especially the monsoon control room and ward offices.

Nagpur city witnessed heavy flooding within hours. If the rain had persisted overnight, many settlements in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar might have also been submerged. Water levels reached two to three feet in various areas, including Aurangpura, Agrasen Chowk in Cidco, Barapulla Gate, Salim Ali Lake-Ganesh Colony road, Gulmandi, and Aushadhi Bhavan.

Vehicle owners were forced to navigate through the flooded streets, with no municipal drainage system in place to alleviate the situation. Despite the rain, municipal ward offices were notably absent in their duty of water drainage, prompting concerns about their preparedness. The fire department remained on high alert, responding promptly to situations where water entered citizens homes or fallen trees obstructed roads.

A control room was established as part of the smart city initiative before the monsoon, the lack of awareness about its telephone number among officers and employees on Saturday raised questions about the efficacy of the control room itself. It seemed as though the control room existed only on paper, leaving residents and motorists to grapple with the consequences of inadequate drainage infrastructure.