Water-logging gets worse

Lives of nearly four lakh people, living in the DND dam areas alone, have been paralysed by incessant rain. Most of the roads and lanes in those places have been flooded and people have virtually been stranded in their homes. The situation has not turned that critical in other areas, but it is clear that water-logging has become a major concern for the city dwellers. In the first place, traffic congestion, a perennial problem in the city, is further aggravated. The man hours lost on the road constitute a national loss. Furthermore, the already potholed roads are being damaged by stationary water, let alone the vehicles wading heavily through them. And the least said about health hazards the better.

Now, it is imperative that the reasons behind such constant water-logging are recognised and remedies found by the city engineering authorities. Digging of roads, an almost round-the-year phenomenon, contributes to water-logging, particularly because the ruptured roads are almost never put back to their original position. Then we have witnessed a lot of activities like construction and demolition of road dividers. Only experts can say how much these changes have had a bearing on water-logging, but there is no doubt that the situation is worsening day by day.

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WASA, which is in charge of drainage in the city, does not have the necessary infrastructure to handle the heavy load of wastes and rainwater. Nearly one-third of the city is yet to be brought within WASA's drainage system.

The overriding aggravating factor, however, has been lack of coordination between the agencies involved in city management, urban development and service delivery. They seem to work independently without paying any attention to each other's needs and concerns.

It is time the problem of water-logging received due attention. A study should be conducted, preferably by a composite committee of experts, to assess the situation as a whole so as to tackle it head-on. Surely we don't want the city to be nicknamed 'something of a cesspool'.