CUTTACK: Waterlogging due to choked drains remains a major civic problem in the Millennium City and the failure of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to address the issue was exposed yet again on Sunday as heavy downpour for one hour between 3 pm and 4 pm wreaked havoc in several localities.
More than 120 residential and business areas in the city were affected by waterlogging prompting CMC authorities to engage dewatering pump sets to tackle the situation. Areas like Patapola, Sutahat, Khatbin Sahi, Rover Street, Mehendipur, Sri Viahar Colony, Tulasipur, Kazi Bazar, Balu Bazar vegetable market, Ravenshaw University campus, Badambadi, Raja Bagicha and Mahanadi Vihar localities were the worst-hit as overflowing drain water gushed into houses located in the low-lying areas.
Narrating his ordeal, Manoj Mohapatra of Ganga Mandir said, “I had gone to Balu Bazar vegetable market to buy vegetables but had to wait for about one-and-a-half hour while returning till water receded from the road.”
Blaming the civic body for its failure to deal with such eventualities, Surya Rao of Sutahat Tanti Sahi said, “The CMC keeps making tall claims that drain cleaning work in the city is being carried out regularly. But waterlogging after rain for only one hour shows that no concrete measures were undertaken by the authorities in advance.” Residents of vulnerable areas fear if it rains at night, the situation will only worsen.
CMC executive engineer DR Tripathy said as many as 176 dewatering motor pump sets have been pressed into service to drain out excess water from different low-lying localities in the city. Besides, sluice gate at Khannagar has been opened and water has started receding from several areas in the city, he said, adding there is no need to panic as dewatering pumps have been kept ready and will be used if the need arises.