Heavy rains since Friday morning threw life out of gear in the capital, exposing the tall claims of the Municipal administration especially poor maintenance of roads and sewerage network in Bhopal.
Traffic was forced to crawl in most parts of the city as the patchwork done by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) washed away with many roads burrowed up. The much publicised cleaning campaign of nullahs in the city also went in vain as rainwater flooded several drains, with refurbishment work after the laying of sanitation pipes making commuting difficult for vehicles and pedestrians alike.
Nearly two thirds of Bhopal doesn’t have a proper sewerage system, with much of the raw sewage or septic tank outflows being discharged into open drains that flow into the nearby watercourses or seep into the ground.
The encroachment of the existing drains at various points has not helped the overflowing of rainwater in creating a flood-like situation in many parts of the walled city.
Overflowing garbage from dustbins was a common sight in many areas. The posh New Bhopal Arera Colony, Gulmohar and Shahpura areas were water-logged because of a poor drainage system.
Meanwhile, residents living in the Old City area and the low-lying slums of Banganga, Shahjanabad and Jehangirabad had to navigate through
knee-height water-logged roads and the entire region had a foul smell, as it was littered with garbage, polythene bags, sacks and various waste ranging from broken glasses to plastic cups.
The rains also caused an empty house at Jehangirabad, Barkhedi locality to collapse. The police said that the house was in a dilapidated condition and nobody was injured in the incident.
BMC call centre is receiving complaints related to rain, water logging, falling of trees and flooding. Control room has also been set up at the Sadar Manzil fire Brigade office, central workshop, Mata Mandir and all the 14 zone offices.