Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH/ DODA, July 15: Heavy rain created havoc in Mendhar town this morning again as flooded water from lanes and drains entered shops and residential houses causing extensive damage to the public property while two women fell into open drains cover and were injured.
The people alleged that the local administration and the Rural Development Department authorities have failed to divert the rain water of the Mendhar market in spite of repeated requests and hue and cry by the traders and Beopar Mandal of the town.
There was again heavy rain in the town this morning and it created water logging in the market. The drain water was over flowing and it entered many shops and houses causing much damage to the public property. Several shopkeepers suffered massive damages. There was strong resentment among the business community over the attitude of neglect on the part of local Administration. They also held brief protest against the local administration.
Later, SDM and Tehsildar besides SDPO paid visit to the market and talked to the public. They took stock of the loss suffered by the shopkeepers and other residents.
Traders Vikas Sawhney, Vikram Sharma and Javed Iqbal said that their entire goods have been damaged due to entering of rain water into the shops. They alleged that drains have been choked and BDO office staff failed to initiate clearance work before rainy season. There was about 2 ft water inside their shops. They said two women fell into the flooded drain and received injuries. They alleged massive funds are generated through Adda Fee from vehicles and also from traders but this money is not utilised for their welfare.
The Beopar Mandal Mendhar demanded that there was urgent need to construct a deep drain in the market and divert water to other sites.
Terming failure to provide proper drainage system to the people of Mendhar town, local social activist Nadeem Khan has alleged that the Administration in Mendhar under whose control this sanitation, cleanliness ,lane and drains comes, has become the headache for common masses. There is no proper cleaning of drains resulting into blockade. Every year traders suffer huge loss but administration is sleeping over the matter.
Meanwhile, heavy rain in the afternoon coupled by cloud brust wreaked havoc in Hanga area of Bhaderwah, as it triggered flash floods, damaged standing maize crops and a portion of Gatha – Hanga disconnecting several villages from rest of the district.
“The torrential rains coupled with strong winds that started at 5.30 pm on Monday, damaged several kanals of standing maize crop in at least half a dozen villages of Hanga-Noori Panchayat beside washing away about 100 meter road portion as Hanga Nullah overflow the culvert perhaps due to cloud brust ,” Dev Rattan from village Hanga said.
He said dozens of students and villagers were stranded on either side of the road as there was major in Hanga Nullah.
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