JALANDHAR – Torrential rain and thunderstorms early on Monday morning brought Jalandhar to a standstill, causing widespread urban flooding, significant property damage, and power outages. The city experienced what is believed to be its heaviest single rainfall of the season, with the downpour starting around 2 am and inundating vast areas within an hour.
The Municipal Corporation reported a high volume of emergency calls regarding building collapses and uprooted trees, which blocked key roads across the city. The storm also snapped power lines, leading to a disruption of electricity supply for over five hours in several areas, according to officials from the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
The rainfall’s impact was felt acutely in some of Jalandhar’s most affluent localities. In Defence Colony, a residential area, rainwater entered homes, a situation that residents said they had never experienced before. As Congress leader Angad Dutta stated, “Rainwater made way into several houses and shops in Defence Colony, something we have never seen earlier.”
The commercial hub of Model Town was also severely affected. Rajiv Duggal, president of the Model Town Market Association, confirmed that several showrooms in the area were flooded. At Mata Rani Chowk, water accumulated to a depth of 2-3 feet in store basements. “An electronics showroom storing phones and speakers in its basement had all these items floating in water,” said Duggal, who estimated the loss at roughly ₹1 crore for that single store. Other shopkeepers in the vicinity also suffered financial losses due to the floodwater.
The unexpected intensity of the rainfall has highlighted the city’s struggle with urban flooding and drainage infrastructure, leaving residents and businesses to cope with the aftermath of the early morning deluge.