Heavy downpour exposes Bareilly's crumbling drainage system, floods homes

Around 2 pm, sudden heavy rainfall lashed Bareilly for approximately 90 minutes, bringing the city's drainage system to its knees and leaving knee-deep water in low-lying areas. The deluge inundated not only roads and lanes but also forced its way into homes and shops, leaving residents stranded and their belongings damaged.

Cloudburst brings city to a standstill

The morning had been normal with mild sunshine, but dense black clouds gathered over the city by afternoon. Within minutes, thunder rumbled and torrential rain began, quickly gaining intensity. The downpour forced people to take shelter in shops and other safe locations as main roads flooded and vehicle movement slowed to a crawl.

According to local residents, water remained logged in several areas even after the rain stopped. Many people had to wade through the accumulated water to move around, while some complained of household items and other belongings getting damaged. The flooding once again raised questions about the city's drainage infrastructure.

Specific neighborhoods bore the brunt of the waterlogging. Subhash Nagar, Chandrapuram and other low-lying residential areas saw traffic disrupted as water accumulated. Two-wheeler riders faced particular difficulty navigating submerged roads, and pedestrians were forced to change their routes due to the flooding.

Power grid collapses under rainfall pressure

The rain exposed the electricity department's maintenance claims and the reality behind crores spent on upgrades. The entire city plunged into darkness as substations at Jagatpur, Delapir, Suncity and Mahanagarfailed due to waterlogging in their yards, disrupting power supply for several hours. A 33 kV line trip caused by the rain further affected electricity distribution.

The power corporation had claimed to keep supply smooth in every season, summer, winter and monsoon, but the rain demolished that assertion. Despite spending approximately seven hundred crore rupees over the year to improve the city's supply system, the rainfall brought everything crashing down.

Multiple substations including Civil Lines I and III, Mission Compound, Rampur Bagh, Delapir, Jagatpur, Suncity, Mahanagar, Haroongala, Parsakhera and CB Ganj saw their power supply affected. Officials had to install sump pumps to drain water from inside the substations before power could be restored late into the night. Stadium Road, KK Hospital Road, Delapir, Mandi Samiti and IVRI feeders remained without electricity due to waterlogging. In Thiriya, a power pole collapsed in the Kharra area, cutting supply to Naiyo ki Puliya; officials stated the pole could not be repaired during the rain and power would be restored after work resumed.

Relief from humidity, but at a cost

While urban areas grappled with waterlogging, the temperature dropped significantly after the sustained downpour, bringing relief to people troubled by days of oppressive humidity. The weather turned cool and pleasant once the rain subsided.

Rural areas welcomed the rainfall differently. Farmers said the rain would benefit paddy and other kharif crops, as it increased moisture in fields and provided relief from irrigation needs. Where waterlogging increased urban residents' difficulties, the same rain brought agricultural relief to villages.

More rain forecast

An integrated weather forecast center reported that a concentrated low-pressure area near north-west Madhya Pradesh and adjoining south-west Uttar Pradesh remains active. This weather system has sustained rainfall activity in western Uttar Pradesh, particularly the Bareilly division. Moderate to heavy rain is likely over the next 24 hours, with thunderstorms possible in some places. After that, as the low-pressure area weakens, the heavy rainfall spell will begin to subside and the extent of rain will decrease.