Chandigarh, Sept, 2: As heavy monsoon showers lash North India, Chandigarh’s network of seasonal rivulets, known locally as choes, has once again shielded the city from flooding.
The city has five major choes — Sukhna Choe, N-Choe, Patiala Ki Rao, Dhanas Choe, and one smaller channel — that act as natural stormwater highways, carrying rainwater into the Ghaggar river system. Without these choes, low-lying areas of the city would be submerged after heavy downpours.
Sukhna Choe feeds into the iconic Sukhna Lake, while N-Choe channels a significant volume of stormwater through the heart of the city towards Mohali. A video circulating on social media shows the choes efficiently carrying rainwater away, preventing waterlogging in urban areas.
Netizens have highlighted the ecological importance of these rivulets. “Choes are not just storm drains; they are ecological assets. If we conserve them, they will conserve us,” one comment read. Another noted, “What a great town planning could do!”
Mandip Singh Brar, Chief Secretary (in-charge) of UT Chandigarh, has directed officials to monitor waterlogging continuously, especially at vulnerable points. He instructed that water levels at Patiala Ki Rao be closely tracked and timely warnings issued to low-lying areas if necessary.
The police have been asked to ensure proper traffic regulation and safety in waterlogged stretches, while the health department has been tasked with maintaining sufficient medical supplies and staff, anticipating potential patient inflow from neighboring flood-affected states. Government agencies have also been instructed to keep emergency response teams ready and deploy machinery for rapid relief operations without causing unnecessary panic.
In contrast, Punjab continues to battle massive floods triggered by the swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, along with seasonal rivulets fed by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Chandigarh’s choes, described by experts as the city’s “quiet guardians,” have once again underscored the value of well-planned urban drainage in protecting lives and property.
