Chandigarh sees highest rainfall in 23 years, trees uprooted & underpasses submerged

Chandigarh: Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, on Sunday recorded the highest rainfall on a single day in July, setting a record in 23 years. It saw 322 mm of rain in 24 hours.

The city previously recorded the highest-ever rainfall of 262 mm on July 18, 2000.

After continuous rain, the authorities opened floodgates of the man-made Sukhna Lake as the water level reached 1,162.54 ft. The Sukhna Choe carries the excess water of the lake to the Ghaggar river.

With the water release, there was flood-like situation in the low-lying areas of Baltana and Zirakpur towns.

The police have advised the public to avoid the road from Kishangarh village towards Sukhna Lake and Shastri Nagar in Manimajra owing to waterlogging.

Several low-lying areas of Chandigarh were waterlogged with underpasses submerged. A large number of residents reported uprooting of trees, damaging of private property and rain water entering their houses.

City-based journalist Tarun Sharma told IANS a fully grown Peepal tree in front of his Sector 38 residence crashed down owing to heavy rain and damaged electrical wires and his car. However, no one was injured in the tree fall incident.

Locals claimed they had given a letter to the Municipal Corporation to trim the branches to reduce the load, however, the tree was not trimmed as per norms.

In neighboring Dera Bassi in Punjab, swollen rain-fed Ghaggar water entered fields and large swathes of land were inundated.

With the IMD already issuing a warning of heavy rainfall, the Punjab government is on high alert.