Nagpur: Overflowing Gorewada nullah following Tuesday’s torrential rain wreaked havoc across West Nagpur, inundating houses, submerging roads and culverts, and leaving students and residents stranded as floodwaters entered several residential colonies.Worst-hit localities included New Ahbab Colony, Mahesh Nagar, Palloti Nagar, Arafat Society, Anant Nagar, Swagat Nagar, Sangam Nagar, Yogendra Nagar, Zingabai Takli, Bandhu Nagar, Ganpati Nagar and Jafar Nagar, where residents reported water levels of up to four feet inside homes, damaging household belongings and forcing families to move vehicles and valuables to safer places.The downpour coincided with school dispersal, leaving many students stranded after approach roads went under water. A school in the Gorewada area delayed dispersal as parents struggled to reach the campus through flooded roads, while school buses and vans were forced to take alternate routes.Corporator Shailesh Pande (Prabhag No. 11) blamed inadequate drainage infrastructure and the absence of retaining walls along Gorewada nullah for the flooding. He alleged that narrow bridges and bottlenecks obstructed the natural flow of stormwater, causing it to spill into residential colonies. “NMC officials, fire department and sanitation workers were on the ground throughout the afternoon, but residents suffered heavy losses. Temporary measures after flooding are of little help. The civic body must immediately strengthen the drainage network and construct retaining walls to prevent a recurrence,” Pande told TOI.Residents also questioned the effectiveness of newly installed stormwater drains, claiming they overflowed within hours, worsening the flooding instead of easing it. “Despite repeated complaints and two representations to the authorities, no permanent solution has been provided,” said social activist Zafar Solanki, urging the civic administration to implement long-pending flood mitigation measures before another spell of heavy rain triggers similar devastation.
