Chandigarh, Aug. 21 -- Two days after an unprecedented deluge laid bare the inadequacies in Chandigarh's drainage system and disaster management plans, the municipal corporation (MC) General House meeting witnessed stormy scenes as councillors cutting across party lines questioned the civic officials over their "laid-back" response.

MC officials, including the chief engineer, superintending engineer (building & roads wing) and executive engineers, cut a sorry figure as both mayor Saurabh Joshi and municipal commissioner Amit Kumar Sharma pulled them up, stating that traffic congestion could not be an excuse for the quick reaction teams (QRT) failure to reach waterlogged areas.

"Where are the crores of rupees earmarked for monsoon prepar...