CUTTACK: There simply seems to be no end in sight to the sufferings of people residing in low-lying areas in the city, who are always at the receiving end of Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s apathy.
The residents, hoping for relief after it stopped raining a few days back, were in for a rude shock as a downpour for just one-and-a-half hours on Sunday once again led to waterlogging in their localities. The pre-noon shower resulted in waterlogging at localities like Patapola, Sutahat, Rovers Street, Mehendipur, Kesharpur, Gamadhia, Tulasipur and a few parts of Chualiaganj and Mahanadi Vihar in the city.
Waterlogging also brought traffic to a grinding halt for several hours in different parts of the city.
“After suffering for around three days, we had got some relief from waterlogging. However, a brief spell of heavy rain has once again made our lives miserable. It seems there is no respite for us from the persistent problem of water logging,” said K Srinbas Rao of Sutahat Tanti Sahi.
Former corporator and president of Congress city unit, Giribala Behera alleged that the majority of drains in the city are chocked as a result of locals suffer during monsoon. “A brief spell of rains on Sunday exposed the city’s drainage system and the tall claims of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on cleaning of drains,” she said.
CMC Commissioner Ananya Das said more than 200 dewatering pump sets of CMC, 23 pump sets belonging to fire service and 4 high power (82HP) pump sets of JICA-funded Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project (ISIP) have been engaged for releasing water logging from the low-lying areas.
“As we cannot open the sluice gates at Jobra, Matru Bhawan, Khannagar and Matagajpur due to high water level in Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers, the pumping stations at Tulasipur, Bidyadharpur, Khannagar and Matagajpur have been activated for release of excess water from the city,” she said.
Although it again started raining at 1 pm, its intensity was low. The rain has also added to the woes of people residing in the flash-flood hit marooned localities in Mahanga.