By Sunil Sonker
Mussoorie, 10 Jul: Heavy rain in Mussoorie on Wednesday night disrupted life. Near Woodstock School on Dhanaulti Road, the drain water along with debris overflowed and came on to the main road, due to which the road was completely closed. Long queues of vehicles formed on both sides and people had to face a lot of difficulties for about two hours. After heavy rain at around 3 a.m., debris from the drain near Woodstock School suddenly came on the main road. There was so much debris that the road was completely blocked.
As soon as information about the incident was received, teams of the local administration and Public Works Department reached the spot with a JCB machine. After about two hours of hard work by the team, the debris was removed and the traffic was made smooth.
Local residents said that the drain from which the debris came was dumpted by a contractor engaged in nearby construction work. This blocked the flow of the drain, and in heavy rain the drain overflowed and brought all the debris on the road. People have demanded that the administration take strict action against the contractor who dumped debris in the drains. Taking the matter seriously, the administration has started an investigation. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Mussoorie has given instructions to identify the persons who dumped debris in the drain and take action against them.
The culprits will soon be issued a notice and asked for a reply and action will be taken as per the rules. The administration has appealed to the common citizens and people associated with construction work not to block the drains and drainage routes, so that such disaster-causing situations can be avoided. At a tourist place like Mussoorie, this type of negligence can pose a threat not only to the life of the people but also to the safety of the tourists.
