Monsoon season has arrived but road in Sector 40 in Chandigarh is still being torn down for drainage work

Even as the monsoon season approaches the city, construction work on a storm drain is still underway on Vikas Marg, raising concerns about soil erosion that could lead to major sinkholes.

Work carried out from Sector 40 to Sector 42 over the past few weeks has led to road closures and pavements being torn up, which is already causing inconvenience to commuters and residents alike.

To make matters worse, Tuesday morning rain turned these areas into muddy, slippery zones, and the lack of proper drainage caused flooding in the excavated sections, which hampered traffic and led to road cave-ins on the Sector 55 exit.

According to municipal corporation (MC) officials, last year during monsoon, areas of Sector 40-C, Sector 41-A and Badheri Complex were flooded due to their low-lying location in the southern sectors of Chandigarh. During the rains, these areas became inaccessible, creating problems for commuters and affecting traffic.

To address the issue, the civic body collected field data and proposed an additional storm water drainage line along Vikas Marg (from Sector 40 to Sector 42). The work was then assigned to an agency. However, the MC failed to ensure timely completion of the work before the monsoon.

“Low lying areas of Sector 41 have been connected to the new storm water drainage line and work on Sector 40/41/54/55 roundabout is in progress. The pipeline laying at this roundabout is expected to be completed in the next seven days after which Sector 40-C will be connected to this storm water drainage line. This will ensure that these areas do not face flooding during the upcoming rains,” Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra explained.

However, since road surfacing is not possible during the monsoon season due to adverse weather conditions, the muddy roundabout will continue to pose a nuisance to commuters.

Work on the road dividing sector 44/45 has been suspended

Traffic disruptions still occur on the road separating sectors 44 and 45, where a sewerage construction project began almost a year ago.

After the sewerage work was carried out at a snail’s pace, during which one side of the road remained completely inaccessible for many months, the excavated section was finally filled in.

However, the road has not yet been carpeted, forcing vehicles to move in a tight space along the median strip.

With the arrival of monsoon, the road gullies may get blocked by mud, causing flooding and slippery roads. According to MC officials, the road will not be fully ready for another three-four months due to the rainy season.

“The work of laying sewerage lines on the road dividing Sectors 44/45 has been approved under AMRUT2.0. The work was completed in May at a cost of Rs 1.70 crore. Another project of laying storm water drainage lines along with construction of road drains at a cost of Rs ₹70 lakh was completed in June. The tender for repairing the roads was delayed due to the Model Code of Conduct for General Elections, but it has already been floated,” MC officials said.