However, it has been pointed out by WASA that if the water level rises by another two feet, waterlogging may reach catastrophic proportions. Authorities of the Water Development Board have also indicated that they would be forced to shut down the sluice gates in order to prevent river water entering the city. In case of water entering into the city, the pumps will have to run on a 24-hour basis to drain out both rain water combined with waste water as well as river water.

In the meantime, WASA has reportedly placed 23 pumps at Titipara and another 53 at Rampura. But the ones at Rampura are being repaired and readied only now. WASA authorities have also said that even if the number of pumps were doubled it would not be able to free the city of waterlogging

We thus find it rather absurd that WASA is carrying out repairs of pumps only now in order to make them operative, at a time when we are already well into the monsoon season and living under the looming threat of waterlogging of crisis proportions. It is our expectation that in the monsoon season concerned agencies should be in a state of high alert and preparedness to tackle waterlogging problems.

We also strongly recommend that the WASA and the Water Development Board should be made more effective and through their collaborative efforts be able to deal with this yearly phenomenon in a more efficient way. Government should also come forward in strengthening these agencies with more resources, both technical and otherwise.

In the meantime, we urge the administration that those found guilty of negligence in their duties as evidenced in the case of repairing the pumps at this late hour, whether of the WASA or any other related agencies, should be taken to task.