Chandigarh, June 18 -- Even as monsoon is steadily inching towards the city, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) has yet to complete nearly one-third of its drain-cleaning work, leaving the city's staring at another season of waterlogging. As of Tuesday, only 72% of Chandigarh's 30,452 road gullies and storm water drains - critical for clearing rainwater from roads - have been cleaned. That leaves around 8,500 gullies still clogged, even as light showers were reported on Tuesday. Officials said only 21,808 gullies had been cleared so far, even though the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the southwest monsoon could hit the city by the last week of June. Progress continues to lag in several vulnerable areas, especially low-lying zones such as Mauli Jagran Complex, Charan Singh Colony, Vikas Nagar, Shivalik Enclave, Raipur Kalan, Daria and Sunder Nagar. 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 traffic chaos during heavy downpours, with several roads and low-lying sectors, especially southern sectors, being inundated for hours. In several areas, including Hallomajra, Manimajra, Burail, Dhanas and Daria, residents reported water stagnation lasting up to 12 hours, severely affecting daily life and mobility. At many places, local residents and traffic police volunteers were seen attempting to unclog blocked drains manually. In an effort to ensure a clean, safe and hygienic environment ahead of the monsoon season, MC will launch a fortnightly deep cleaning drive across all city wards and zones, starting June 18. Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar said the comprehensive sanitation campaign was aimed at preventing waterlogging, curbing the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria, and improving overall public health and sanitation conditions in the city. He said under this initiative, dedicated teams will carry out intensive cleaning of roads, drains, public spaces and garbage-vulnerable points....