While waterlogging is seriously affecting life in twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack even after a medium spell of rains, the civic authorities are passing the buck on the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the drain land encroachers for the situation.
But it is learnt that the civic authorities, the BMC and the CMC, have not risen to the occasion to resolve the longstanding problem for many years.
From information submitted in the State Assembly over five long years back by the then Housing and Urban Development Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, it is learn that as many as 139 persons had encroached drain lands at different places in the capital city alone. Interestingly, 47 persons had encroached lands of Drain-4 passing in Jayadev Vihar and Bhoi Nagar and 13 persons had encroached lands of Drain-10.
“The Minister had informed the State Assembly about the massive encroachments five years back when the NH 16 fly over had not commenced functioning. What was the State Government doing in these five yearsIJ” wanted to know former MlA Bibhudhendra Pratap Das. He alleged that waterlogging in the capital city is the fallout of the BMC’s negligence only.
Das pooh-poohed the BDA’s recent announcement to adopt ‘no tolerance policy’ and drive out all encroachers from along Drain 10 at the earliest as the clogged drain is creating severe waterlogging in front of the Iskcon Temple in Nayapalli area.
The Drain 10 and the Drain 4 passing through Nayapalli, Bhoi Nagar and Jaydev Vihar have been blocked for many years now. Though the NH flyover should have created water passages to natural drains, the dillydallying attitude of the civic bodies in evicting encroachments along drains are not pardonable at all, said Das.
The other major drains encroached in the capial city are natural drains at Nicco Park and a canal at Ekamra Kanan.
As regards to millennium city Cuttack, the Minister had then stated that only four temples and one Puja Mandap had been constructed on drain lands and no other encroachment was in the Government knowledge.
“If there is no encroachment in Cuttack, why the CMC is taking eviction drive now,” wanted to know Das further.