Dehradun: Touted in billboards and tourist brochures as a "Smart City", Dehradun today plunged into chaos as the very first spells of Monsoon rains left the city into water-logged nightmare for its thousands of hapless residents and commuters.
The main roads, lifelines of the city, have turned into raging rivers, shattering the tall claims made by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation about the Smart city.
Dehradun city is also dubbed as education hub. But the students were hold hostages by the swelling pools of water in the main city.
Thousands of commuters find themselves trapped in a harrowing ordeal, struggling to navigate through the submerged thoroughfares.
What is more, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami and his cabinet colleagues and the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha took a detour to reach the Vidhan Sabha today.
The residents have urged and implored them to take immediate action, treating the submerged main roads as a top priority.
The situation has reached a point where the once busy thoroughfare has now become a three to four-foot-deep pool of water, effectively cutting off vital transportation routes.
Social media platforms have become battlegrounds, witnessing blistering attacks against the district administration, the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, and the state government.
Citizens, NGOs, and netizens have joined hands berating the authorities for their failure to maintain the drains and roads, especially during the onset of the monsoon season.
Anoop Nautiyal, President of the SDFC expressed extreme anguish and concern and labeled the situation a disgrace to the state government and its entire machinery.
Residents' anger is evident as they remarked, "The roads resemble slush waves, and the pooling water is poised to worsen as the monsoon gains intensity in the Doon Valley."
The exasperated residents of Dehradun are demanding answers from the municipality and the state government.
They seek a comprehensive plan of action to tackle the impending rains and mitigate the waterlogging crisis.
As the downpour persists, the entire city has become immobilized, rendering it unsuitable for any public movement.
Roads and residential areas lie submerged in tree to four feet of water, transforming Dehradun into an urban quagmire.
While smaller vehicles stand paralyzed, larger buses and vehicles valiantly navigate through the treacherous four to five-foot-deep waters, symbolizing the city's struggle to stay afloat.
Dehradun, once a thriving urban center, now finds itself brought to its knees, held captive by the forces of nature and the incompetence of those entrusted with its governance.
The citizens of Dehradun demand immediate action from the authorities, urging them to rectify the drainage system and restore the city's functionality.
