BERHAMPUR: Normal life was affected in Digapahandi on Tuesday as residents and shop owners staged a four-hour-long road blockade near the local bus stand, protesting chronic waterlogging and drainage issues in the area.
The agitators under the leadership of Digapahandi NAC councillors Deepak Mishra, Nilamadhab Gouda and Sushanta Patra blocked the road from around 8 am to 12 noon, paralysing traffic between Berhampur to Koraput and Gajapati.
They said Digapahandi, one of Ganjam district’s major commercial hubs, attracts thousands of people daily for business and other activities. The bus stand area houses four major banks, ATMs, and computer training centres attended by numerous students. However, the area turns into a flood zone even during light rainfall due to lack of proper drainage.
The residents alleged that a brief spell of rain causes severe waterlogging along the main road under state highway 17. Due to inadequate drainage, rainwater mixed with sewage overflows onto the road, creating unhygienic conditions. As stormwater fails to flow out through the drainage system, water accumulates up to three feet deep on both sides of the bus stand area, causing immense hardship to residents.
The protesters claimed they had earlier approached officials of the Works department and also submitted a memorandum to tehsildar Santosh Kumar Sahu, urging immediate intervention to resolve the problem.
Last month, the tehsildar, NAC executive officer (EO) Abinash Mishra, Works department assistant engineer Manoj Maharana and NAC chairperson Prafulla Panda visited the affected area and reportedly assured the residents of a permanent solution. However, no concrete action has been taken so far, alleged councillor Mishra.
Later in the day, Digapahandi IIC Kishore Samal along with the NAC EO and Maharana reached the protest site and held discussions with the agitators.
The road blockade was lifted after the administration assured that the water accumulated on the road would be drained out immediately and a team of experts would prepare an action plan for a permanent solution to the waterlogging problem.