Waterlogging in Roads and Lanes Disrupts Normal Life, People Face Severe Commuting Difficulties
Weather conditions shifted in the Saharsa district of Bihar as heavy downpours on Monday once again exposed the hollow pre-monsoon claims of the district administration and the municipal corporation (Nagar Nigam). Just after the first or initial heavy spells of monsoon rain, the true state of affairs within the Saharsa Nagar Nigam area came to light. Such an acute condition of waterlogging developed from the city's main thoroughfares down to the inner lanes and bylanes that streets transformed into ponds.
People stepping out of their homes, school children, shopkeepers, and pedestrians were forced to wade through filthy, knee-deep water. Every year ahead of the monsoon, grand claims are made by the Nagar Nigam regarding drain desilting and freedom from waterlogging, but ground realities are sufficient to tear apart these claims. Let us analyze in detail the situation that emerged in Saharsa following this heavy downpour, the causes of waterlogging, public hardships, and the functioning of the Nagar Nigam.
Havoc Wreaked by Rain: Waterlogging Spanning from the City to Lanes and Bylanes
Dark clouds loomed over the sky since Monday morning, and within moments, a heavy downpour commenced. Within a few hours, the rain became so intense that the city's drainage system appeared to have completely failed.
Main Roads Converted into Ponds: Several busy areas and main roads of Saharsa city took on the shape of lakes or ponds. Due to waterlogging, potholes and manholes on the roads became hidden beneath the surface, significantly increasing the risk of accidents for motorists.
Miserable Condition of Lanes and Bylanes: Beyond main roads, conditions deteriorated even further in low-lying settlements and residential lanes. Filthy water reached right up to the thresholds of people's homes, severely disrupting daily chores.
Which Areas Witnessed the Maximum Impact?
The problem of waterlogging assumed a massive proportion across several prominent wards and markets of the Saharsa Nagar Nigam area:
Main Markets and Crossings: With water accumulating in the city's main markets, buyers failed to reach shops for shopping, subjecting shopkeepers to massive financial losses.
Residential Areas and Schools: Parents sending their children to schools had to struggle immensely. Many children were compelled to trudge through filthy water to reach school, creating risks of infections and diseases spreading among them.
Reality Check on Nagar Nigam's System: The Truth Behind Desilting Claims
Every year right before the monsoon season, the Nagar Nigam claims to spend lakhs and crores of rupees in the name of drain desilting and cleaning. Despite this, why the city ends up in this condition at the onset of rain remains a major question.
Unscientific Construction of Drains: Experts and local residents state that drains across the city have not been constructed keeping scientific principles and slope regulations in mind. Drains at multiple locations have fallen prey to encroachment, while elsewhere they remain completely choked.
Absence of Drainage Outlets: Natural or artificial drainage channels constructed to drain rainwater out of the city are either blocked or poorly maintained. Consequently, water accumulates on roads with even a slight spell of rain.
Public Outrage and Hardships
Intense anger is being witnessed among local citizens and motorists grappling with waterlogging against the Nagar Nigam administration.
Stench and Mosquito Infestation: Within hours of water accumulation on roads and lanes, foul odors emanate from the dirty water. Simultaneously, rising mosquito infestations have raised the threat of waterborne diseases like malaria, dengue, and typhoid.
Commuting Brought to a Halt: Office-goers, laborers, and the trading class stepping out for daily routines were seen struggling with stalled vehicles and slipping incidents in the water.
The heavy downpour that struck Saharsa on Monday has completely stripped away the veneer of the Nagar Nigam's drainage management. The reality of development plans confined to paper files floated across roads in the form of rainwater. If the municipal administration still fails to take concrete steps on a war footing and repair the city's drainage system, the people of Saharsa will be forced to endure an even more hellish existence throughout the monsoon season. In view of public hardships, the administrative machinery needs to slip into immediate action mode.
