Severe waterlogging triggered by days of heavy rainfall has brought the Prayagraj administration under intense scrutiny. The Allahabad high court directed officials to take immediate measures and submit a long-term plan to prevent recurring urban flooding.
In the wake of widespread public criticism, senior officials, including mayor Ganesh Kesarwani, DM Manish Kumar Verma, and municipal commissioner S Sai Teja, conducted extensive inspections of waterlogged localities across the city.
The administration has attributed part of the problem to severe blockages in the drainage network. DM Verma appealed to residents not to dump household waste into drains and sewers, stating that cleaning teams recovered old mattresses, buckets, garbage, and other bulky items from stormwater channels.
According to officials, major waterlogging in localities such as George Town and Sohbatiyabag has largely been cleared after identifying and removing multiple choke points. However, authorities were surprised to find large household items trapped inside drains designed exclusively for stormwater flow.
The administration has launched sanitation and disease-prevention measures in affected areas. Teams from the Municipal Corporation and health department are conducting fogging, spraying, and cleanliness drives, while ASHA workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) have been deployed to monitor vulnerable localities.
High court’s intervention
Taking a stern view of the situation on Wednesday, the Allahabad high court directed the municipal commissioner to ensure the removal of water from low-lying areas within 24 hours and ordered the deployment of adequate pumping infrastructure. The municipal commissioner has been directed to prepare an immediate action plan and remain present during the next hearing scheduled for August 25.
Earlier, the court had also ordered the administration to pump out rainwater through the Morri Gate-Daraganj system after water entered residential areas and posed health risks to residents. It has further sought an affidavit from the director, local bodies, detailing the state’s flood-management strategy for Prayagraj.
The district administration deployed 43 pumps with a combined capacity of 132.50 million litres per day (MLD) across affected localities. Six high-capacity pumps were installed near the Sangam Petrol Pump area in George Town, while continuous operations were carried out at the Morri Pumping Station.
Additional pumps were deployed in Sohbatiyabag, and emergency engineering measures, including road cutting and diversion of water into nearby drains, were undertaken in heavily waterlogged areas.
Old drainage network under focus
Following three days of torrential rain from last Sunday, water levels reportedly reached up to five feet in several parts of the city. DM Manish Verma said that low-lying areas such as George Town, Tagore Town, and Allapur experience waterlogging almost every year. This year, however, water receded slowly because of blockages in underground drains that are nearly 20 to 25 years old.
Officials had to excavate roads at several locations to identify and clear the obstructions. Most of the accumulated water has since been drained out.
A comprehensive drainage master plan is now being prepared, incorporating the city’s topography and existing drainage network. The proposal includes new pumping stations, widening of old drains, enhancement of drainage connectivity, and permanent removal of chronic choke points.
Divisional Commissioner Lokesh M on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting attended by senior officials from the district administration, Municipal Corporation, Jal Nigam, Public Works Department, and other agencies to discuss long-term solutions for recurring waterlogging in areas such as George Town, Tagore Town, Liddle Road, Allapur, Baghmari, and Salori.
Meanwhile, Prayagraj witnessed intermittent rainfall on Saturday under overcast skies. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a rain alert for the district and warned of the possibility of heavy showers in some areas.
Rural areas also affected
In rural Prayagraj, Meja sub-divisional magistrate Ajit Pratap Singh and revenue officials surveyed rain-affected villages to assess crop losses and damage caused by overflowing water bodies.
Large stretches of paddy fields in Kurki Kala village were found submerged, while villagers reported floodwater entering settlements after the Gulriha embankment overflowed. Revenue teams have been directed to conduct detailed surveys and submit crop-loss reports for affected villages in the Meja region.
