Residents of Bhubaneshwar battle with inundated streets following hour-long downpour

Bhubaneswar: Several parts in Odisha's capital came to a standstill after it rained there for over an hour on July 1. Though they came as a relief from the scorching heat, the rains also exposed the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and its efficiency. 

The rains led to the flooding of the service road that runs along NH-6 and brought back memories of 2018 when a similar condition prevailed after monsoons.

Autorickshaws, buses and cars seemed to struggle to reach their destinations as they stood submerged in knee-deep water.

The aggrieved locals said that even though an anti-encroachment drive had been carried out by the civic body after 2018 monsoons, it was not of much help as the drainage channels were neither expanded nor cleared. 

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Apart from NH-6, Cuttack-Puri road near Laxmi Sagar, Bhomikhal, Vani Vihar and Rupali square, were among other places that struggled with water-logging. 

BMC Additional Commissioner Surath Chandra Mallick told New Indian Express, "We have alerted our zonal officers to keep an eye on vulnerable and low-lying areas prone to water-logging. Pump sets have also been positioned in areas where water-logging is frequent during monsoon."

In May this year, strong winds and rains enveloped Odisha and caused mass destruction after Cyclone Fani gained momentum. Lakhs of lives were adversely affected by the natural calamity. The cyclone also put the infrastructure of the state to test. 

With buildings collapsing, and severe flooding, several questions were raised on the civic bodies. While some blamed the BMC, some held the government responsible for the destruction caused. 

Soon after the cyclone subsided, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Randeep Kumar Rana told Mirror Now that out of 44 NDRF teams, 23 were deployed in Bhubaneshwar and 14 were deployed Puri to clear the electricity poles and repaired run-down water pipelines. 

Odisha waterlogged after 2018 monsoons 

In September last year, water logging disrupted their loading and unloading of consignments. Low-lying areas like Paradip and areas surrounding the Sun Temple in Konark experienced severe water-logging. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) opened a 24-hour control room and special operation centre to battle the problem. Over a dozen teams were deployed in 67 wards ensure that the issue of water-logging was dealt with effectively.