BATTAGRAM: Heavy rain on Friday caused hardships to residents as rainwater entered the shops in the Battagram Bazaar, inundated roads and streets due to clogged sewerage lines.

The local residents, including traders, complained that drains were clogged in almost all parts of Battagram Bazaar while the tehsil municipal administration seemed not interested in launching a cleanliness drive.

They alleged that apathy of TMA officials and the local government functionaries had turned the district into a city of filth and garbage. Last year, the monsoon rains exposed the faulty and poor drainage system but the authorities concerned did not pay any heed to overhaul it, they said.

The local people said choked drains and heaps of garbage on roads and lanes could cause flash floods during the monsoon season. They alleged that they had time and again requested the local government representatives to direct TMA officials to launch a cleanliness drive but to no avail. The drive, they hoped would help reduce the threat of flood.

Every year roads and streets are submerged by rainwater in monsoon owing to poor drainage system in Battagram district, the locals said, adding the area near the main bridge presented a look of a pool of stagnant water as no proper cleaning of drains had been carried out since long. The drains in Jajmai Bazaar, Pump Bazaar have also long been blocked, causing bad odour.

Naseer Mohammad, a local resident, told this scribe that former MPA Nawabzada Wali Mohammad Khan and tehsil nazim Niaz Mohammad Khan Trand had promised them that all the streets and broken drains would be repaired, but they had yet to materialise their promises.

The locals said the provincial government had released funds for uplift of Battagram Bazaar but still no change was seen.

Rain with thunderstorm lashed Battagram, Ajmera, Chappargram, Peshora, Shamlai, Batamori, Kuzabanda, Rashang, Bateela, Biari, Banna Khapero Soka and Chail Sar.

No loss of human life or damage to property was reported.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2019