BERHAMPUR: Normal life came to a standstill on Saturday after a sudden downpour left the entire city here waterlogged. Although rains lashed for just about 20 minutes, the poor drainage system left the entire city waterlogged for hours.
While most of the drains filled with garbage failed to accommodate rainwater, the areas in and around Hillpatna were badly affected owing to the ongoing drainage work. The residents of Aska road, Radhakant street, Gandhinagar and Gosaninuagaon among others suffered the worst as the water entered their homes.
Daily commute also came to a grinding halt forcing denizens to stay indoors for hours.
Under-construction and potholed roads too, remained filled with water. However, the sudden rains is believed to serve as a boon for farmers and aid them in paddy transplantation works that had earlier stopped as the lands had become parched.