India, June 23 -- While residents are eagerly waiting for monsoon to arrive, a sinking feeling persists as much of the road gullies are yet to be cleaned.

In Chandigarh, until June 17, 72% of the total 30,452 road gullies and storm water drains - critical for clearing rainwater from roads - had been cleaned. But vulnerable areas, especially low-lying zones such as Mauli Jagran Complex, Charan Singh Colony, Vikas Nagar, Shivalik Enclave, Raipur Kalan, Daria and Sunder Nagar, had reported slow progress. In these pockets, only around 50% of the drains have been cleaned due to manpower shortage, leaving them highly susceptible to flooding during even moderate spells of rain.

Last monsoon, the city had witnessed widespread flooding and traff...