After Bhubaneswar, now overnight rains in Rourkela expose Smart City claims

The ‘Smart City’ tag received a rainwash after overnight showers inundated several areas of the Steel City. The citizens bore the brunt as they fought to drain out water from their houses.
An inundated lane in Rourkela. I Express Photo Services
An inundated lane in Rourkela. I Express Photo Services

ROURKELA: The Smart Cities of the State are failing the monsoon test one after the other. After exposing the vulnerability of Bhubaneswar, the rains wreaked havoc in several low-lying areas of Rourkela on Sunday night.

The ‘Smart City’ tag received a rainwash after overnight showers inundated several areas of the Steel City. The citizens bore the brunt as they fought to drain out water from their houses for hours together.

The rains also exposed the city’s faulty drainage system which was one of the reasons for water-logging. The unpreparedness of the civic authorities came to the fore as the encroachment of drainage channels and inadequate measures to clear clogged drains added to the miseries of citizens.

Reports said water started flowing into the low-lying residential colonies and slum pockets at around 3 am on Monday following heavy rains in the previous night.

About 50 households of RDA Colony and Kalinga Vihar of Chhend faced artificial flooding as rainwater could not pass through the narrow culvert near the Hanuman temple, said local resident Bhaskar Patra.

Several residential quarters of Railway’s running staff at ST Colony were submerged under three feet rainwater. Maguni slum near the Colony also shared a similar fate. 

Former chairman of erstwhile Rourkela Municipality Ramesh Chandra Bal blamed the civic body for the situation.

“A toilet and some shops of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) sit over the heavily-clogged main drain near Old Taxi Stand. Though RMC authorities are aware of the problem, remedial measures are yet to be taken,” Bal claimed.

Moreover, several slum houses behind Nala Road area, along Mahtab Road and low-lying pockets of Malgodam also faced massive water-logging. 

The Mantola slum near Civil Township, Palpalbasti and part of Balughat near Panposh as well as Gangadharpali slum also witnessed artificial flooding. Sources said rainwater receded in most of the places by 9 am on Monday.

Vice-president of BJP’s State SC Morcha RN Sahu pointed out that half a dozen of major natural drainage channels in the city have been covered with concrete structures, leaving no room to clean those. 

Blaming the faulty drainage system of the city, former chairperson of the erstwhile municipality Rashmi Bala Mishra said at many places, drains are situated at the lower level while their outlets are at an upper elevation. 

On the day, commuters too faced a torrid time as the ring road of Rourkela Steel Plant and other routes of the RMC faced the menace of water-logging.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com