9/23 memories return to haunt as 2-hour deluge floods Nagpur, sewage swamps houses

Nagpur: A two-hour deluge on Thursday morning in peak summer sent residents downstream of Ambazari Lake and along Nag River grappling with rising waters and bringing alive horrific memories of last September, when devastating floods submerged over 25,000 homes.
Thursday’s downpour was around 50% of the total rainfall of 88mm recorded in April, which saw 10 rainy days this year.
With the overcast sky dramatically reducing visibility, the pounding rain kept firefighters on their toes the entire day, attending calls on waterlogging and tree felling. Large swathes of the city suffered a blackout amidst a dark May morning.
Overflowing sewers kept areas vulnerable to floods like Purohit Layout, Ambazari Layout, Kasturba Layout, Samata Layout, Yashwant Nagar, Daga Layout, Corporation Colony, Dandige Layout and Shankar Nagar on tenterhooks.
A TOI recce of flood-affected areas found sewage from choked underground chambers inundating several homes. The drainage systems too virtually collapsed, submerging several neighbourhoods. Roads turned into rivulets, exposing blockage in stormwater network and forcing residents to navigate waterlogged streets to protect their homes and belongings.
Nirmala Bhavsar, a senior citizen from Ambazari Layout, had diligently replaced her damaged furniture and whitewashed her home after last year's flood. However, Thursday’s rain brought gurgling water and sewage back into her house, reigniting fears of a monsoon mayhem. “It seems the sewerage network of our area is damaged severely and this seems to be a new challenge this monsoon,” said Bhavsar.
Gangadhar Bedekar, another resident of Yeshwant Nagar, had constructed a threshold in front of their main door to prevent water from entering their house, reflecting the huge financial losses suffered by the Bedekar family by last September’s deluge. Waterlogging was also observed in front of Rameshwari Bansod's residence.
Dr Archana Deshpande from Shankar Nagar expressed frustration over NMC’s botched cleaning of the Nag River. She pointed out that excavated silt from the river was causing significant blockages, hindering smooth flow of water in its basin. Dattatray Patankar, another resident, voiced concerns about a potential flood situation this year as the flow of water in Nag River behind his house was choked by uncleared silt.
Gajanan Deshpande and Apurva Trivedi highlighted concerns on blocked stormwater drains downstream of Ambazari Lake, warning of a flash flood this year. Trivedi pointed out that cement blocks left during the construction of stormwater chambers were stopping flow of stormwater in Shankar Nagar. Despite complaints to construction workers, no action was taken, resulting in waterlogging in the area.
Even visits to Daga Layout, Corporation Colony, and other areas revealed choked or damaged stormwater networks, making it challenging for rainwater to find smooth passage.
Local residents also raised questions over quality of work in strengthening the Ambazari Dam embankment. “The earthen bund’s soil is loose and this makes the embankment vulnerable,” said locals.