CUTTACK: Puncturing every claim of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on monsoon preparedness, the horrors of flooding returned to the Millennium City following a spell of rains on Tuesday night, taking most localities in its grip.
Over 115 residential areas and markets were waterlogged due to choked drains across the expanse of the city.
Low lying areas in Badambadi, Roxy Lane, Pithapur, Haripur, Rajabagicha, Jhanjiri Mangala, Patapola, Sutahat, Meria Bazar, Petin Sahi, Mahidas Bazar, Khatbin Sahi, Rover Street, Nima Sahi, Shilpi Kumbhar Sahi, Gomadiha, Taanla Sahi, Tulasipur and Mahanadi Vihar saw stormwater entering houses.
"We woke up at 4.30 am to see that water had entered our houses. We moved all our belongings to safer spots and sat on beds till water was drained out in the morning," said Annapurna Rout, a resident of Sutahat.
Malgodown, the biggest wholesale market of the State, witnessed knee-deep water. Goods worth Rs 25 lakh to 30 lakh belonging to traders were damaged due to inundation of shops and godowns. The Cuttack Chamber of Commerce blamed the CMC for the situation.
Members of the Chamber alleged that due to lack of renovation and desilting of the drain passing through the Malgodown road, the area is water-logged even in the slightest of rains. "CMC authorities had assured us to renovate and reconstruct the existing 1.5 ft wide and 15 ft long drain passing through the road. But, it is a matter of regret that despite three reminders, it did not carry out the work," said general secretary Prafulla Chhatoi.
He added that the Chamber has decided to reconstruct the drain at its own cost as the CMC failed to do so.
Executive Engineer CMC DR Tripathy said, around 200 dewatering motor pump sets have been pressed into service to release water from low lying areas. "The city drainage system has capacity to drain out storm water resulting from 30 to 50 mm rainfall. Cuttack received 110 mm rainfall in last 24 hours as a result of which, many areas were waterlogged," he explained.
However, citizens asked what has stopped the CMC from strengthening its drainage capacity over all these years when waterlogging is a perennial problem in the city. "The municipal body has been a complete failure in solving basic problems of the city. That the powers in the State government continue to be blind to the situation in Cuttack is more saddening," a resident lamented.