Srinagar: Various areas in the summer capital on Sunday faced waterlogging due to incessant rains throwing life out of gear in affected areas.
It was difficult for the commuters to walk on various interior roads, lanes and by-lanes after they remained submerged.
The affected areas include Bemina, Mehjoor Nagar, Rambagh, interior areas of Natipora and Chanapora.
Massive water-logging was also witnessed in interior areas of Parraypora, and Sonwar.
Inhabitants of Bemina also complained that the poor drainage system has compounded their problems. Similar complaints were received from Shalteng, Usmanabad lane-3, Umerabad, Mustafabad, Zainakote, Maisuma, Indira Nagar, Iqbal Colony Sonwar, Aloocha Bagh, Shivpora, Rainawari and Soura.
Inhabitants of Indira Nagar said interior roads and bylanes were inundated by ankle deep rainwater.
“Students and patients are bearing the brunt of the water-logging. The Cantonment Board is in slumber. We hope the district administration will intervene and press into service the dewatering pumps,” said the aggrieved residents of Indira Nagar.
The problem was compounded by a defunct drainage system in various areas. The choked drains, according to locals, led to water logging in various city localities.
Shopkeepers from different markets complained that water logging severely affected their daily business while some complained that the water entered their shops.
The water logging also hampered the business of street vendors in the city centre who found it difficult to find the pace for installing their stalls due to water logging.
“On Sunday, we expect to do good business and earn some bucks to feed our respective families. But this Sunday, the water logging made it difficult for us to find the place for installation of our stalls,” said one of the street vendors in Lal Chowk.
Locals complained that the drainage system of Srinagar is so choked with silt from years that a few hours of rain or snowfall make roads in the capital city look like rivulets.
Most drains in the capital city have not been delisted for years, seriously reducing their carrying capacity.
“Inconvenience caused to multitudes of people and losses to businessmen every time it rains might prompt authorities for selective dewatering of roads, but the worsening long-term problem of choked drains doesn’t seem to worry them,” said Abdul Ahad of Bemina.
The existing drainage system has not been de-silted for years.
After the devastating floods of 2014, the already bad drainage system went worse due to further accumulation of silt that came with the deluge, resulting in frequent water logging in the city.
Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation Athar Aamir said that men and machinery were pressed in the affected areas for the dewatering process.
“We have started process of de-silting some time ago and many areas have been covered under the scheme. The entire drainage system will be desilted shortly,” he said while replying to a query.