Mohali, June 20 -- The pre-monsoon showers are likely to hit the region by weekend, but Mohali, like every year, is not prepared yet. The authorities concerned have just started cleaning the road gullies which are around 23,000 in number. A survey by an HT team points out that the majority of road gullies are partially blocked and these are unlikely to be cleaned before the heavens open up. Every year, the MC allocates a budget of Rs.1.50 crore for the same. Out of the nearly 23,000 road gullies, 9,500 are under the public health department, 8,500 under the municipal corporation and 5,000 under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). The public health department is responsible for Phases 1 to 11, the MC covers Sectors 66 to 69, Sector 76 to 89 and the Bulk Market in Sector 65, while GMADA handles the newer areas of Aerocity, IT City and Sector 88. GMADA executive engineer Himanshu Sandhu said, "We have started cleaning the road gullies on the airport road. We will do so in other areas as and when we get approval." A senior official of the public health department said around 2,500 road gullies had been cleaned and the department was hopeful of completing the work in two weeks. MC executive engineer Sunil Sharma said, "We have also started cleaning the gullies. The work will be completed by July 15." Mohali deputy mayor Kuljeet Singh Bedi said it is strange that officials start the cleaning work at the eleventh hour every year. "The officials concerned should be held responsible for the mess. There was no waterlogging over 20 years ago as the roads were not above the plinth level. Now roads dividing sectors are above the plinth level of houses, resulting in rainwater flowing into residences," he said. Punjab's former town planning director MS Aujla, a resident of Mohali, said, "This is every year's story. Heavy rainfall has been predicted this year, so urban flooding is imminent. The carrying capacity of the drainage system should be increased. It is high time we conduct an audit of the drainage system keeping the climate change and extreme events in mind." In Mataur village of Sector 70, congested streets, choked drains and lack of space to construct additional drains make this village a nightmare in the rainy season. At some places, people have encroached upon drains or gullies, while at others, they have been blocked by construction material. In Phase 4 and 5, structural flaws cause a monsoon mess as many houses are in low-lying areas and no agency has any remedy to stop water flowing into them. Residents also blame unplanned carpeting of roads which raises their level and causes water to accumulate on their sides. At places, it also enters houses. In Phase 3B1 and 3B2, water-logging is a routine affair. The natural lay of the land makes it prone to flooding as water from Chandigarh flows down to this part of Mohali. Phase 11 gets inundated due to the poor cleaning of the Lakhnour choe....