CUTTACK: Light rain has exposed shoddy drain desilting and cleaning work in areas under Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) limits in the city.
After Sunday’s rain, low-lying parts of the city experienced waterlogging with the drains throwing up the waste dumped into the system.
While an inordinate delay in starting drain desilting work is feared to lead to waterlogging in monsoon, poor planning by CMC in execution of drain cleaning work and lack of coordination between agencies has failed to yield desired results.
The oldest city had witnessed worst-ever water-logging problem in 2007 with most of its areas remaining submerged for two days.
Considering the matter and plight of citizens, Odisha High Court directed CMC to complete desilting and maintenance drains by May 31 every year, but unfortunately, the civic body never manages to complete work in time.
“The desilting work should ideally start in April. CMC habitually starts it late in May only after a warning from the administration. How will it be possible to complete work within the scheduled time without providing additional manpower to make up work for the delayed time?,” questioned former Congress Corporator Giribala Behera.
“The silt removed from drains is dumped closer to drains for days together which again finds its way back to the drains after a shower, said Jitendra Mohanty of Mission Road.