Residents of Dhoka Mohalla and surrounding neighborhoods in Ludhiana are threatening to abandon their homes following a heavy Friday downpour that flooded streets with toxic black silt, an issue they claim local authorities have failed to address for multiple years.
Streets Transformed into Rivers of Sludge
The overflow from a nearby seasonal drain dramatically transformed the streets of Kashmir Nagar and Ranjit Singh Park into rivers of sludge, leaving behind a thick, hazardous layer of black filth as waters receded on Saturday. This environmental disaster has created immediate health risks and commuter chaos throughout the affected communities.
A Recurring Monsoon Nightmare
For those living along the drain's path, rainfall has become a source of dread rather than relief. Residents report the problem first emerged approximately four years ago and has progressively worsened with each successive monsoon season.
"I have lived here for 37 years," said Sunita Rani, a resident of Dhoka Mohalla. "We never used to have these issues, but now we just pray it doesn't rain. Last monsoon, this black water entered our homes. This time it stayed in the street, but we were trapped inside all Friday."
Rani added that the persistent flooding and the overwhelming stench left behind have become so unbearable that many neighbors are now actively looking to sell their properties and relocate permanently.
Hazardous Conditions and Municipal Inaction
By Saturday afternoon, while the standing water had retreated, it left a dangerous trail of toxic silt across the entire community. The conditions created a grim tableau of public health hazards and civic neglect.
- Senior citizens were observed sitting in the streets to catch the winter sun despite being surrounded by drying sludge
- Motorists and pedestrians struggled desperately to navigate the slippery, foul-smelling roads
- Local residents alleged that municipal sanitation staff completely failed to arrive, forcing some community members to begin shoveling the black silt themselves
Constant Fear of Additional Rainfall
While the immediate flooding has subsided, the drain remains at full capacity, keeping the community on high alert. Rakesh Kumar, another local resident, noted that while they were spared from indoor flooding this particular time, the traumatic memory of last July's devastating rains remains painfully fresh.
"It was a relief the water didn't enter the houses this time because the rain stopped," Rakesh Kumar explained. "But the drain water still overflows toward our homes. One day of rain is all it takes to create a crisis here."
With the drain level remaining dangerously high at several locations, the community lives in constant fear that any additional rainfall will push the toxic mixture directly back into their living rooms, repeating the cycle of environmental disaster and residential displacement.
