Heavy rains and floods ravage Punjab but not Chandigarh; here's why

Punjab floods

As heavy monsoon rains continue to lash North India, with Punjab lying submerged under murky floodwaters, Chandigarh has managed to avoid major waterlogging or urban flooding, even after receiving over 140 mm of rain since Sunday.

According to a report by The Tribune, Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, has a network of five major ‘choes’ — seasonal rivulets — including Sukhna Choe, N-Choe, Patiala Ki Rao, and Dhanas Choe, which channel excess rainwater into the Ghaggar river system.

These choes act like stormwater highways, diverting rainwater away from populated areas. Without these choes, the low-lying areas in Chandigarh would be submerged after every heavy downpour.

As per the report, Sukhna Choe also feeds into the iconic Sukhna Lake, while N-Choe carries a bulk of the stormwater through the heart of the city to Mohali.

A video on social media shows how these choes swiftly carried away heavy rainwater, preventing the city from choking.

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These natural water channels are often called Chandigarh’s “quiet guardians". While Chandigarh also closed schools due to heavy rain, it has largely avoided the widespread disruption seen in Punjab.

All schools in the Union Territory will remain shut on September 3 due to continued inclement weather, the administration announced on Tuesday.

“In view of the prevailing inclement weather conditions in the region, all schools of UT (union territory) Chandigarh shall remain closed on September 3," the official statement said.