BHUBANESWAR: With monsoon not far away, the failure of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to cover open drains has raised concerns among the residents of the Capital City. Out of the total 625 km internal drains under BMC and 300 km drains administered by the Works department, over 200 km drains continue to remain open.
These drains without slabs that turn into killer traps during monsoon have claimed several lives in the past including the life of a 15-year-old boy Jyoti Prakash Behera, who was swept into an open drain by storm water during last year's monsoon in September.
Following the mishap, the BMC was requested by the lawmakers to earmark additional funds to either cover the open drains or erect 10-ft-high nets on both sides of the drains to prevent a repeat of such incidents.
Though months have passed, the civic body, has not been able to take up either of the tasks, though it has started barricading the vulnerable spots with bamboo.
Many places don't have slabs, while there are gaps between the concrete lids on drains in places including near Capital Girls High School in Unit II as well as residential areas of Aerodrome, Jharpada and Rasulgarh. "This is a major concern as such drains pose grave risk to pedestrians, especially in the event of waterlogging or urban flooding," said a resident of Nayapalli.
An official from the BMC admitted that no funding had been made to cover the open drains last year, though they have received funds for installation of trash racks and barricading of vulnerable locations.
BMC drainage division officials said steps are being taken for bamboo barricading of all vulnerable drains identified by the BMC to prevent any mishap during monsoon. "We have identified 34 such drains and their barricading will be completed before the onset of monsoon," said drainage wing engineer Goutam Chandra Das.