BHUBANESWAR: The Capital’s waterlogging menace has remained a perennial issue, thanks to faulty drainage systems laid by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). The worst affected by the Corporation’s apathy are the residents of Behera Sahi. Their longstanding demand for construction of a separate drainage system for Nayapalli, IRC Village, Rental Colony and other areas is yet to be unfulfilled.Ramakant Das, a local said, “the entire drain water from IRC Village, Rental Colony and Indradhanu Market is being discharged into Behera Sahi, which leads to over flooding in the area.”
On the other hand, BMC officials said construction of a drainage and a culvert near Syed Mumtaz Ali High School has started and once the work is complete the storm water in Nayapalli area would be discharged into a nearby lake through the drain.However, a Behera Sahi resident, Arjun Behera, alleged that all the water near Iskcon Temple (upper level) was being discharged into Behera Sahi (lower level), and construction of new drain will not benefit residents of the locality.
“The storm water of some wards in Unit VIII area will be discharged into the lake through the under construction drain. The drain will not be connected with the culverts meant for discharging storm water near Iskcon Temple and neither will it solve water-logging problem near the temple nor at Behera Sahi,” he claimed.The residents of Behera Sahi, who are affected every time there is a downpour, also raised apprehensions about encroachment near the lake where the storm and drain water of the entire Nayapalli area was being discharged.
Locals said the lake is filled with aquatic weeds, but the authorities have a turned a blind eye towards it. Besides this, the garbage of nearby areas is also being dumped near the lake making things worse.
“Solid waste and construction materials are being dumped on the embankments of the lake. If these flow into the lake, it would be choked. Due to this, the residents of Nayapalli and Behera Sahi will have to face serious consequences,” Arjun Behera said.