Ajmer:
Heavy rains lashing Ajmer for the past two days have inundated several areas of the city. Aggravating the situation is the overflowing Anasagar Lake which is now posing a challenge to the city administration which has to release water from the lake risking further flooding in the catchment area.
125 mm of rain in the past two days has left several areas, which include majority of unauthorised colonies in the lake catchment area, submerged. The illegal colonies which were allowed to crop up unchecked have stopped the natural flow of water, leading to water logging conditions.
Ajmer's Collector, Vaibhav Galaria, says the issue of illegal encroachment in the lake catchment area is a long term problem and a survey will be done to properly address this issue.
Khanpur, one such colony lying downstream from Anasagar Lake, is threatened by inundation as the water body is overflowing. The authorities have released eight inches of water so far and have to release still more.
However, this decision carries with it the risk of flooding the settlements downstream. According to Khanpur Corporator Vijay, at least 15, 000 people will be affected if too much water is released.
With heavy rains being forecast for Rajasthan in the next 24 hours and the Ajmer administration grappling to tackle the situation, the city's troubles seem far from over just yet.