As city gets flooded in 1st spell of rains, CM presses for better prep | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: The first heavy showers this monsoon caused widespread waterlogging and traffic snarls across the city, with chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressing concern over the situation on Wednesday.Addressing a conference of revenue officials here on Wednesday, the CM said, “With a prediction of above normal rainfall this year, there is a need for more preparedness to deal with any eventuality. After heavy rain, most parts of Bhubaneswar faced waterlogging on Tuesday.”The city recorded 57 mm of rainfall on Tuesday and 43.8 mm on Wednesday afternoon, flooding major roads and choking traffic flow.Residents complained of severe waterlogging on major roads, causing traffic jams for several hours. “It rained for just an hour, and roads in Bapuji Nagar turned into a river. It’s the same story every year. If this is the situation after a brief downpour, we may face further plight later on,” said Prakash Sahu, a resident of Niladri Vihar.People also expressed resentment over multiple open drains and delay in desilting work, which made commuting difficult and rsiky. Many pointed out that drains are often left uncovered by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers after desilting, making them accident-prone, particularly during rain.“The drains are left open after cleaning. It’s risky for children and elderly people. A neighbour’s two-wheeler slipped into the drain, injuring him. Who will take responsibility?” asked Truptimayee Sahu, a resident of Rasulgarh.Responding to the situation, city mayor Sulochana Das said, “Rainy days are a headache for BMC due to severe waterlogging. We have identified 17 vulnerable waterlogging points in the city. At several points, there are issues of tender and cooperation by the line departments.”She said that desilting of major drains is going on across the city, and 85% of the work is already completed. “Since there was a forecast for hot and humid conditions till June 12, we were not prepared for heavy rain. Any big city will face waterlogging if heavy rain occurs. The city is growing, and the carrying capacity of drains is reducing, leading to waterlogging. Repair and construction of walls of major drains is also going on and will take some time. Cleaning of drains will be completed by June 30,” she said, requesting the state govt to clean the Gangua and Daya West canals, which would help in flushing out rainwater quickly.
