Prayagraj: Heavy rain continued to lash the city intermittently for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, throwing normal life out of gear. Several localities grappled with severe waterlogging, while power outages and uprooted trees added to residents’ woes.The city recorded around 208mm of rainfall from Sunday till Tuesday evening, exposing the fragile drainage system and civic infrastructure across both urban and rural areas.While rain persisted through the day, the weather took a dramatic turn around 5pm when dense clouds darkened the sky to the extent that it appeared night had descended over the city.Among the worst-affected areas were George Town, Kareli, Civil Lines, Govindpur, Mundera, Rambagh, Allahapur, parts of Katra and several localities in the old city. Roads and residential colonies remained submerged, with rainwater entering homes and commercial establishments.In several lanes of George Town and Kareli, water reached knee-deep levels, while some low-lying areas witnessed even higher accumulation.“Patients, attendants and residents have been facing serious problems as roads around George Town have remained waterlogged for hours,” said Dr Subodh Jain, a resident of the area.The stretch from Sangam Petrol Pump to George Town police station was completely submerged. Rainwater also entered several shops and establishments. Outside Prayagraj Junction, one of the city’s busiest transport hubs, roads remained inundated following the morning spell, disrupting traffic and pedestrian movement.“We had barely got some relief when the rain returned in the evening, and the situation again started deteriorating,” said Dr Pankaj Kamra of George Town.Rainwater also entered several educational institutions. Although the district administration declared a holiday for schools up to Class 12, universities and colleges remained open, forcing students to negotiate waterlogged roads, entrances and campus premises.Civil Lines witnessed extensive waterlogging as well, affecting traffic movement and business activity.“The intensity of the rain was such that roads disappeared under water and commuting became extremely difficult,” said Anurag Asthana, a resident of Civil Lines.Power supply was disrupted in several parts of the city. In Preetam Nagar, a major fault at the Kendrachal powerhouse triggered an outage, though electricity was restored within about an hour after repair work.Uprooted trees further compounded the situation. In Mohanganj Phulwaria village of Gohri, waterlogging led to the collapse of four houses, injuring three children. In Purushottampur village under Uttarav police station limits, a neem tree fell on a kutcha house, completely damaging the structure.Kareli’s Gaddha Colony was among the worst-hit localities, prompting the deployment of SDRF personnel. In several vulnerable areas, residents shifted essential belongings to upper floors as stagnant water remained trapped for hours.The rainfall also brought temperatures down by around seven degrees, offering relief from humidity. However, the prolonged downpour kept markets subdued and disrupted traffic at multiple locations across the city.As rainfall intensified during the evening, residents feared the waterlogging situation could worsen if the showers continued overnight.
