Heavy rains lashed parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab on Sunday, leading to severe waterlogging in Moradabad and Amritsar. In Moradabad, residents of Bholanath Colony were forced to use boats to commute as their area was completely submerged. The Regional Meteorological Centre of New Delhi had predicted a thunderstorm with light to moderate rainfall for the western region of Uttar Pradesh earlier that morning. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert for widespread rainfall and thunderstorms across several parts of the country on Sunday. Meanwhile, Amritsar also experienced heavy rainfall, causing waterlogging in different parts of the city, including near the Golden Temple, where cars were stuck. However, former IAS KBS Sidhu highlighted the effectiveness of the storm water drainage system of the Galliara Project, completed in the 1990s, in preventing major waterlogging around the Golden Temple complex. He noted that the city’s saucer-like topography, with the Golden Temple at the lowest point, and the efficient drainage system ensure swift water removal, preventing knee-deep water accumulation even near the old Kotwali Chowk. Despite the heavy rainfall, the drainage system’s effectiveness in minimizing waterlogging around the Golden Temple stands as a testament to its efficient design and implementation.
