Cuttack Stares At Waterlogging Pains Due To Haphazard Renovation Of Drains

Cuttack: The Millennium City is staring at a severe waterlogging problem during monsoon, courtesy haphazard renovation of the drainage system.

Former Congress Corporator Namita Manjari Sahu alleged that the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) authorities have not taken up the waterlogging issues in the right earnest. She said the India Meteorological Department has already said that the monsoon would enter the state in a few days, but the CMC is yet to rise from its slumber.

Sahu alleged that the city is bereft of the required drainage system despite the demands of locals and added that the 12 km long main drain of the city that begins from Chahata and ends at Patapol Mattagajapur is yet to be taken up for desilting.

The former Congress Coroporator said the maintenance of the main drain has been entrusted with JAICA while CMC is in charge of all surface drains.

CMC Commissioner Ananya Dash admitted that the waterlogging issue continues to haunt the denizens of the city as the repair of the drainage system was taken up hurriedly before the onset of the monsoon. This has been the case over the years, Dash said and added that waterlogging issue could not be addressed properly due to such anomalies.

According to reports, the CMC manages drains of around 1,729 km length including 519.66 km surface drains, 130.34 km major surface drains, two major stormwater channels of 22 km length, a 29 km long branch stormwater channel and 1,028 km long earthen drains in the city.