CUTTACK: Open manholes and damaged slabs at roadside drains are posing serious threat to residents of the Millennium city.
Most of the manholes and drains along the roads are lying uncovered, thereby endangering the lives of pedestrians and motorists alike. While frequent accidents are taking place due to open manholes and drains, no steps have been taken by the civic body to address the issue.
Last week, four persons were injured after falling into a pit near a dug up road at Badambadi. The road work was being carried out by Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board (OWSSB) as part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project.
On June 29 night, a five-year-old boy, Dibyanshu Behera, fell into a manhole at Bajrakabati here, He was later rescued in a critical condition. Dibyanshu’s mother Debasmita of Ganga Mandir said they were returning home after a visit to a relative admitted to Srusti hospital at Bajrakabati when her son fell into the open manhole at around 9:30 pm.
“Dibyanshu fell into the manhole which was submerged in overflowing sewerage water. Since it was raining, he was not able to see it in the dark,” said Debasmita.
Similarly, a 32-year-old man had died after falling into an open drain at Meria Bazaar in February, last year. Santosh Kumar Das was returning home on his bicycle when he accidentally fell into the uncovered drain near his house.
The sanitary workers of the civic body had removed the slab for cleaning the drain but forgot to cover it back.
Another resident, Shaikh Rahim of Jobra, sustained injuries after meeting with an accident due to an uncovered manhole 15 days back. “I fell down after my bike got trapped in a manhole which was not covered properly,” he said.
Apart from causing accidents, these open manholes and drains add to water-logging woes of the city during the rainy season. While residents blamed the negligence of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for the problem, the authorities of the civic body remained inaccessible.