Amid rains, defunct drainage water gushes into houses

Chaos and confusion prevailed in many areas of Srinagar on Thursday after water from defunct drainage system entered into several residential houses following heavy rains triggered by cloudbursts.

Panic gripped Bagh-e-Ali Mardan Khan area of Shaher-e-Khaas soon after cloudburst led to overflowing of drains into scores of residential houses there. Many houses were partially damaged while others developed cracks.

“It was flood-like situation as after cloudburst the accumulated water overflowed from blocked drains directly into our houses. Our boundary walls and an outhouse were damaged in the incident,” said Ghulam Rasool Sheikh and Abdul Salam Sheikh of Bagh-e-Ali Mardan Khan.

“We had a narrow escape as water accumulated on the main road abruptly entered into several houses. My boundary wall developed cracks at several places,” said Sheikh Muhammad Shafi of  Bagh-e-Ali Mardan Khan.

The aggrieved residents said the drains have been left unattended by the concerned authorities since past many years which caused inundation of the whole area.

“The drains are blocked for past many years in the area. Ironically, the concerned department didn’t take any action to restore the defunct system,” said Adnan, a local.

Even after several fire tenders along with the manpower reached the area to undertake dewatering, the locals termed it as an “ “eye wash.”

“Clearing accumulated water from the roads is a sheer futile exercise. The basic problem is that the drains are choked. We won’t allow anyone to clear the roads till the SMC starts desilting drains,” the aggrieved locals said.

Reports said several houses in Nishat were damaged after water entered their houses following cloudburst.

The heavy rains also caused water-logging in city centre Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas. Reports of water-logging were also received from Kanikadal, Babademb, Awant Bawan, Illahi bagh, Vachernag, Kawdara, Qamarwari, Noorbagh, Durganag, Indra Nagar, Shivpora and other parts of the city.

Inhabitants of Garden Lane at Chanapora locality here also complained of water-logging following heavy rains. They accused the Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED) and Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) of failing to expedite repairs of faulty drainage system in the area.

Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Muhammad Ashraf Mir claimed that the drainage system in the city is not defunct. “However the water gets accumulated due to heavy downpour. Government is looking for all possible measures to make the drainage system active throughout the city,” Mir said.

Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Tufail Ahmad Mattoo said the water-logging at Bagh-e-Ali Mardan Khan and adjoining areas is a genuine problem. “It is obvious that water will accumulate as the houses have been built at low lying area in the locality. However, the government is making all efforts to make the drainage system functional in the city in order to avoid water-logging in future,” Mattoo said.

Matoo claimed that continuous rains didn’t allow the department to remove the accumulated silt in drains since September floods. “Removal of silt manually from drains is a continuous process, but it is not successful. We have formulated a project for redoing drains which costs Rs. 200 crore. The project is under consideration of the Government,” the SMC Commissioner said.