DEVASTATING FLOODS IN HARYANA CAUSE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO ROADS AND BRIDGES

In a grim turn of events, floods wreaked havoc in Haryana, affecting a larger area than officially reported. 

- VIPIN PARMAR

MONSOON MAYHEM

While 12 districts were officially listed as flood-affected, the actual impact extended to 17 districts. The affected districts included Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Faridabad, Palwal, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Jhajjar, Kaithal, Jind, Karnal, Panipat, Rewari, and Mahendragarh. The floods inflicted severe damage on infrastructure, with over 1,234 roads, spanning more than 2,104 kilometres, being damaged due to floodwaters and waterlogging.

Amid the destruction, three districts - Rohtak, Gurugram, and Nuh - managed to avoid damage to their roads, despite the widespread inundation. However, in five districts, bridges suffered damage, and restoration work is still underway for four of those bridges. The Public Works Department (PWD), responsible for maintaining roads and bridges, estimates that more than Rs 441 crore will be required to repair the damaged infrastructure. Notably, roads under the Marketing Board and local bodies such as Municipal Corporations and Councils are not included in this assessment.