CUTTACK: The monsoon preparedness of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) was brutally exposed as several areas of the city were waterlogged after the first monsoon showers on Thursday. Several residential areas and markets were waterlogged as choked drains started overflowing following the rains.
The worst affected areas were Patapola, New Rausapatana, Sutahat New Colony, Sutahat Tanti Sahi, and Makaraba Sahi where overflowing drain water gushed into houses making lives miserable for residents.
“The rain lasted for two hours from 12 noon to 2 pm but resulted in overflowing drains and sewage water that gushed into my house forcing us to sit on chairs and cot,” said Y Laxman Rao, a resident of Patapola.
B Parbati Rao of Sutahat Tanti Sahi said, “I was cooking in the kitchen when drain water entered our house. We had to sit on the cot till the water receded at around 5 pm. We have to suffer whenever it rains. We do not know when the waterlogging problem will be resolved.”
The locals attributed the poor drainage systems to the situation and blamed the negligence of CMC in desilting and cleaning clogged drains across the city. Sources said the civic body, after much hue and cry, started desilting the drain in Malgodown three days back. However, the silt removed was dumped on the roadside and as it rained on the day made its way back into the drain, said a trader.
A senior officer of CMC aid some parts of the city that were waterlogged due to the ongoing box drain project on main stormwater channel-1. He said dewatering pump sets have been deployed in the waterlogged areas.