BHUBANESWAR: An intense spell of rain on Tuesday evening inundated several houses in the Badagada area of Bhubaneswar, prompting the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to dredge embankments of the Badagada canal to facilitate drainage of stormwater from the low-lying region.
The emergency operation disrupted traffic along the stretch and exposed glaring gaps in the BMC’s monsoon preparedness, an issue that had drawn Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s attention just a month ago.
Following the downpour, around 10 to 15 residents remained stranded in their homes as floodwaters transformed parts of the Badagada canal road into a swamp. The local market was also submerged under knee-deep water after the stormwater drains failed to function due to blockages.
Rescue teams from the civic body evacuated affected residents, while the BMC resorted to cutting through both embankments of the canal using an excavator to create a trench, enabling stagnant water from the low-lying area to flow out.
Locals blamed the waterlogging on delays in completing drainage repair work. “The water reached chest level in some houses because of the authorities’ negligence,” said a resident whose home was flooded. She also alleged that an old syphon, which had sustained damage over the years, was buried instead of being repaired three months ago. “Since then, the BMC has not come up with any alternative drainage solution,” she added.
The chief minister, in a public address last month, had flagged the issue of road damage in the area following heavy rains in May and instructed officials to remain vigilant during the monsoon. In a subsequent review meeting, he directed the BMC to complete all drainage-related repairs by June 20.
The canal road, which had already suffered substantial damage in May due to torrential rains, saw another round of chaos on Tuesday. The incident has again sparked outrage among locals, some of whom had earlier voiced their concerns directly to BMC mayor Sulochana Das during her visit to the site.
Sources indicated that a lack of coordination between the irrigation department and BMC contributed to the repeated flooding. Officials from both departments could not be reached for comment.