BERHAMPUR: Short spell of rain on June 19 once again exposed the failure on the part of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) to carry out desilting of drains across the city.
While the civic body has claimed to have prepared for monsoon, roads and low lying areas of the city were submerged in rainwater.
Residents continue to face problems due to waterlogging in Laxminrushinha Street, Gajapatinagar, Bank Colony, Gosaninuagaon, Hillpatana, Lanjipalli and slum pockets.
People in these localities either have to hop and skip over waterlogged spots or have to gingerly walk over the slushy mess.
Though the rainwater receded after several hours, the sludge and garbage left on the roads posed serious problems for the commuters.
The Bada Bazaar Road, the major thoroughfare of the city, also remained covered with garbage and rainwater.
Even the BeMC office premises remained waterlogged with ankle deep water. Residents allege that drains continue to be clogged as the civic authorities are yet to initiate desilting process.
Even overflowing drain water entered several houses in low lying areas, they added.
Locals said waterlogging is a common phenomenon in the area whenever it rains, irrespective of the duration of the rainfall.
Several complaints with the civic authorities in this connection have been lodged in the past but the problem persists.
Every year, authorities claim to have completed the desilting exercise of the drains and manholes ahead of monsoon but their tall claims are exposed as soon as it rains, leaving behind several city localities waterlogged, they said.
The waterlogged roads also affected the traffic movement in the city.