Chandigarh, August 21, 2025 – India’s meticulously planned “City Beautiful” found itself underwater as heavy monsoon rains brought the tricity region to a grinding halt, exposing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities that have sparked political controversy and raised urgent questions about urban preparedness in one of the country’s most well-designed cities.

What Happened: Hour of Rain Brings City to Standstill

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a staggering 35mm of rainfall in just one hour on Tuesday evening, transforming Chandigarh’s northern sectors into what residents described as a “flood-like situation.” The downpour, which began around 5:30 PM and continued for nearly an hour, created severe waterlogging in Sectors 34, 35, 36, 37, and 38, leaving thousands of commuters stranded in traffic jams that lasted for hours.

Key areas affected included:

• Madhya Marg experiencing the worst traffic congestion
• Matka Chowk and Sector 17-18-9-8 light points completely waterlogged
• Transport Chowk witnessing delays of up to an hour during peak hours
• Punjab and Haryana High Court parking lot completely submerged
• Sector 15 underpass requiring fire department intervention

Citizens Bear the Brunt: Real Stories from Waterlogged Streets

The human cost of the city’s infrastructure failure became evident as residents shared their harrowing experiences. Surinder Kumar, a local resident, reported it took him “half an hour to reach Tribune Chowk from the Sector-34 roundabout” – a journey that typically takes minutes.

Anuj Bhalla, who got trapped on his scooter in Phase 7, Mohali, described the terrifying experience: “I was trapped as water reached to the silencer of my scooter. I had no option but to wade it out. There was no help in sight”. His account highlights the absence of emergency response teams during critical situations.

The situation proved equally challenging for car drivers. A PU student from the English Department recounted how “the inner road near Sector 9 was completely flooded. My car stopped twice and I had to be pushed out by passers-by”. Another commuter, Nikita, returning from Sector 9, expressed frustration: “It took me nearly an hour to cross just 3 km. The situation gets worse every monsoon”.

Political Firestorm: Opposition Slams BJP-led Municipal Corporation

The waterlogging crisis immediately sparked a political controversy, with opposition parties launching scathing attacks on the BJP-led Municipal Corporation’s handling of monsoon preparedness.

Congress Chandigarh Pradesh Committee President H.S. Lucky didn’t mince words, calling the situation a “collapse of governance” and highlighting the irony that while Chandigarh holds second rank in the Swachh Survekshan survey, just one hour of rainfall was enough to paralyze the city.

“This is not just waterlogging — this is the collapse of governance. The city came to a grinding halt because the BJP has failed to create even a basic drainage and disaster-preparedness system,” Lucky remarked.

The Congress leader pointed out that nine out of the last ten mayors of Chandigarh have been from the BJP, yet little has been done to strengthen civic infrastructure. “The BJP has enjoyed power in the Municipal Corporation for years, but the condition of the city’s roads and drains clearly shows their negligence. Citizens are paying the price for political apathy,” he added.

AAP Joins the Attack: Questions BJP’s Development Model

AAP Chandigarh President Vijay Pal Singh was equally critical, stating that the downpour has “exposed the so-called development model of the BJP”. He questioned the utilization of civic funds, pointing out that cleaning and maintenance of drains were often carried out only on paper.

“For years, the Municipal Corporation has been under BJP’s control. Crores of rupees from the budget went into contractors’ pockets, yet the city neither got a robust drainage system nor a flood management plan. The BJP has treated Chandigarh only as a vote bank, ignoring the real issues of its citizens,” Singh declared.

He demanded a high-level probe into the alleged negligence and corruption, with strict action against officials and contractors found guilty.

Sukhna Lake Floodgates Opened for Fifth Time This Season

The intensity of the rainfall forced authorities to open Sukhna Lake’s floodgates for the fifth time this rainy season, highlighting the unprecedented nature of this year’s monsoon. The lake’s water level reached a dangerous 1,162.95 feet, just inches below the critical danger mark of 1,163 feet.

UT Engineering Department officials stationed at the lake’s regulator around the clock, aided by CCTV surveillance, lifted the gate to a height of three inches to release excess water into the Sukhna Choe. A dedicated control room was established to ensure seamless coordination with district administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula.

Economic Impact: Businesses and Commerce Suffer

The waterlogging crisis extended beyond traffic disruption, significantly impacting local businesses. Rainwater entered shops situated on Old Ropar Road in Manimajra, with traders lamenting losses due to choked drainage pipes that result in water accumulation and entry into commercial establishments.

Vehicle parking areas in markets and administrative premises, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court, were completely submerged, causing potential damage to hundreds of vehicles and disrupting daily operations.

Infrastructure Exposed: Decades of Poor Planning Revealed

The crisis has exposed critical flaws in Chandigarh’s drainage infrastructure despite the city’s reputation for meticulous urban planning. Raj Kumar, a resident of Maloya village, slammed the Municipal Corporation for ill-preparedness, pointing out that “crores were spent on cleaning road gullies but the problem of waterlogging persists, with low-lying areas of the city bearing the brunt”.

The Sector 15 underpass became a particular point of concern, with authorities advising citizens not to attempt crossing due to dangerous water levels. This infrastructure bottleneck has become a recurring problem during monsoon seasons, highlighting the need for comprehensive drainage system overhaul.

Weather Forecast: More Challenges Ahead

Adding to the concerns, the India Meteorological Department has issued yellow and orange alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall coupled with thunderstorms and lightning for the next five days. The forecast includes:

• Orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall on Saturday
• Heavy rain predicted on Friday and Sunday through Tuesday
• Maximum and minimum temperatures expected to remain between 31°C and 23°C respectively

Regional Impact: Tricity Area Struggles Together

The monsoon crisis wasn’t limited to Chandigarh alone. Key roads witnessed major congestions, especially routes from Chandigarh to Zirakpur, PGI to Sarangpur leading to Mullanpur, and the Ambala National Highway, where vehicles remained stuck from Zirakpur to Dera Bassi for extended periods.

Manpreet Singh, traveling from PGI to Khuda Lahora, described the frustration: “It took me more than an hour to cross a 10-minute distance. Vehicles were bumper-to-bumper, and people were visibly frustrated. This level of unpreparedness for monsoon is shocking”.

Historical Context: Recurring Problem Demands Solutions

This isn’t an isolated incident for Chandigarh. The city has repeatedly faced waterlogging issues during monsoon seasons, indicating systemic problems in urban planning and drainage management. The 12 hours of rainfall in August that brought the city to a halt, recording 86mm of rainfall from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM, demonstrates the inadequate capacity of existing infrastructure to handle moderate to heavy precipitation.

Emergency Response: Fire Department Steps In

The severity of the situation required emergency intervention by fire officials at the Sector 11-15 underpass, highlighting how routine rainfall can quickly escalate into emergency situations in poorly prepared urban areas. The fact that two-wheeler riders had to wade through waterlogging or abandon their vehicles points to serious safety concerns during such weather events.

Looking Forward: Urgent Need for Infrastructure Overhaul

The repeated waterlogging crises have highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive infrastructure modernization in Chandigarh. Despite being India’s first planned city, the drainage systems appear inadequate for current population density and changing weather patterns.

Urban planning experts suggest that the city needs:

• Complete drainage system overhaul with increased capacity
• Modern stormwater management systems
• Emergency response protocols for monsoon-related crises
• Better coordination between municipal authorities and emergency services
• Investment in climate-resilient infrastructure

Citizens Demand Action

The political blame game aside, citizens are demanding immediate action and long-term solutions. The Municipal Corporation’s repeated failure to address waterlogging despite advance weather warnings has raised questions about governance effectiveness and public resource utilization.

The situation has become a test case for urban governance in India, where even the most planned cities struggle with basic infrastructure challenges during monsoon seasons.

Conclusion: Wake-Up Call for Urban India

Chandigarh’s monsoon crisis serves as a stark reminder that urban planning success requires continuous investment, maintenance, and adaptation to changing environmental conditions. As climate change brings more unpredictable weather patterns, cities across India must learn from Chandigarh’s experience and invest proactively in resilient infrastructure.

The “City Beautiful” may have lost some of its shine this monsoon season, but the crisis presents an opportunity for comprehensive reform and modernization that could serve as a model for urban areas across the country. The question remains: will authorities rise to the challenge, or will citizens continue to pay the price for infrastructural negligence?

For residents of Chandigarh and the broader tricity area, the immediate focus must be on emergency preparedness as more heavy rainfall is forecasted. Long-term solutions require political will, adequate funding, and most importantly, accountability from elected officials who have promised development but delivered disappointment during this critical test of urban governance.

This developing story continues to unfold as weather alerts remain in effect and citizens await concrete action from municipal authorities to address the systemic infrastructure challenges exposed by this monsoon crisis.