Normal life was thrown out of gear in the twin city of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar due to waterlogging in several areas following heavy rain in the last 24 hours. While Cuttack received highest of 134.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, Bhubaneswar received 24 mm rain.
Several low-lying areas in the silver city were waterlogged since Friday, bringing misery for the residents as drain water entered their houses. Several localities, including Telenga Bazzar, Khatbin Sahi, Odia Bazaar, Pithapur, Badambadi, Bangali Sahi and Rausapatna were marooned.
The acute waterlogging conditions exposed the lack of monsoon preparedness of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). As most of the drains are still clogged and no step has been taken by the CMC towards desilting, the waterlogging situation cropped up, alleged local residents.
Similarly, non-completion of the Integrated JICA
sanitation project also compounded the miseries of the residents in Cuttack.
“Cuttack has been witnessing heavy rainfall since 4 pm on Friday which led to waterlogging. The administration has failed miserably to resolve the perennial problem,” said a local resident.
The situation in Bhubaneswar was also no different. Several localities,
including prominent streets were inundated.
The street in front of the Commissionerate police building as well other localities like Acharya Vihar, Bomikhal, Nayapalli, Laxmisagar and several other areas were waterlogged. But the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) which makes tall claims of desilting the drains and keeping a number of pumps ready to drain out water in the inundated areas, did not have any staff members to tackle the situation, leaving the residents in the lurch.