Shopkeeper Expresses Flood Concerns, Citing Blocked Drain

Bakhtiar Ali, proprietor of Sultan Halal Superstore, expresses apprehension that his establishment could experience recurrent flooding, attributing this risk to an obstructed drain. Chester Road in Sunderland was shut down on Tuesday following a burst water main incident at the Western Hill junction. Mr. Ali noted that while his shop was “luckily” spared from the recent event, it had been inundated four years prior due to a separate pipe rupture. Northumbrian Water confirmed the replacement of the pipe and indicated that the road would be accessible again shortly. Sunderland City Council stated that the gully situated outside the shop was cleared in December 2023. Mr. Ali reported that £3,000 worth of merchandise was destroyed during the flooding event four years ago. He stated, “Now I don’t put many things in the shop because if I put a lot on the floor, it will get wet [and] I will have to dump it.” He further asserted that an obstructed drain outside his premises “made it worse” whenever flooding occurred. “I think it is going to happen over and over again,” Mr. Ali remarked. Sunderland City Council indicated that its last inspection of the gully in September 2021 revealed “no silt,” thus requiring “no works.” Nevertheless, the council confirmed that the gully was cleared subsequent to receiving reports of flooding in December of the previous year. The council also added, “No other reports have been received.”