Nagpur: Finally Monsoons seem to have arrived in the city! It rained heavily yesterday but just for half an hour or so – today rains came early at mid morning and it rained consistently for about two hours.

The much needed showers will definitely give us a respite from the heat and humidity but a new, and more serious problem has cropped up.

Streets looking like rivers!!

Our streets have turned into rivers, specially where construction of cement roads in going on.

Most of these roads are Half – Ready which means half portion has been cemented and half is still either in the old tar road form or work is going on. There is at least a one and half foot level gap between the two halves and naturally water is cascading from the higher level to the lower.

Even where no work is going on ( though such spots are difficult to find!) there is still flooding, as never before, because water is just not being drained through drainage systems.

As third party audit done of new cement roads has noted: either there are no drainage points built, or they are chocked with debris which hasn’t been cleared. So rain water is just spilling on the surface and making its way to lower levels till it finally reaches one of the nallahs of Nag Nadi or Peeli Nadi. These nallahs are in full spate now and already threatening ‘bastis’ on their sides of water inundation.

Water from the streets will also flow into compounds of buildings, residences etc. because many of them are now at a lower level than roads.

This accumulated water – roads- will not only be a source of unhygienic conditions and breeding of mosquitoes but on an immediate basis, unsafe for motorists and two wheelers too. Wherever construction is going on debris like cement blocks are lying around right on the road in some places. They will get submerged under water and not be visible. Vehicles coming in speed will dash against them unawares of their presence and this could lead to major road mishaps and accidents. Who will be responsible for such calamities?

This is just the beginning of rains. As we progress in to July and August, wonder what nightmares will unfold?

Wonder why cement road work was not planned to get done before rains – were our city officials unaware that it rains in Nagpur in June???

Now the Nag Nadi is really looking like a river… but just recall what it looked like last week? Despite all the claims about it being cleaned, it was chocking with plastic in many places still. This plastic will further choke many outlets and Nagpur could well be turned into a place of some islands surrounded by many rivulets/ nallahs/ rivers.

Have you ordered your speed boat yet?