After a light spell of rain, water logging problems have been reported from different areas in the capital city of Bhubaneswar. Commuters on the Bomikhal road had a nightmarish experience due to water logging on the road.
The local residents alleged this problem is not new to them. This problem occurs even after a brief spell of rain. They ascribed it to the clogged drains.
Similarly, a flood-like situation has occurred in the Sialilati panchayat of R Udayagiri block in Gajapati district. With flood water flowing two feet above a culvert near Majhaghara village, the road communication between Mahendragada and Turubudi of Ganjam has been disrupted.
Under the impact of incessant rains, five houses have collapsed in several villages under Kujasinghpanchayat of Gumma block of the district. The affected villagers are now taking shelter in the panchayat office building.
Likewise, heavy downpour has thrown normal life in Similipal sanctuary out of gear. While Podadiha recorded a maximum of 104mm of rainfall, Kendumundi received 15 mm of rainfall. Due to heavy rains, the water levels in the rivulets emerging from the sanctuary are increasing, giving rise to the fear of flood.
Meanwhile, the authorities of the Deo medium irrigation project informed that water from the dam is being released through two gates.
The depression is likely to move west-north-westwards across south Odisha and south Chhattisgarh during the next 24 hours and weaken gradually.
Meanwhile, the alert issued to the ports and coastal areas is still in place. While, danger signal 3 has been issued to Gopalpur, Puri, Dhamra, and Chandbali ports, fishermen have been warned against venturing into the seas.
While the total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 7 lakh, as many as 100 jacks that have the capacity to withstand 150 tonnes of weight have been fixed to raise up the entire structure of the house.
The house owner decided to lift the building after the elevation of the road in the front, which continued to trigger flooding problems in the ground floor of the house.
After searching for solutions online, the owner of the house came to know about ‘house lifting’ solutions and decided to avail the facility for his 15-year-old house.
Subsequently, he contacted a Haryana-based Jai Mahakal Building Lifting And Shifting Works. Soon both the parties inked out an agreement to carry out the necessary modifications in the building.
According to sources, a team of 16 workers from Bihar are currently working on the project which is expected to get completed in two months.
A local resident, Ananta Kumar Rana said, “The level of the house was over 2 feet lower than the level of the road. This triggered waterlogging issues especially during monsoon season every year which forced the family to stay upstairs."
“The level of the road continued to rise every time it was re-carpeted due to which rainwater often entered the house during the monsoon and whenever it rained. But now the building is being revamped with a new method without the slightest damage. The workers are even staying on the first floor of the house,” said a relative of the owner of the house, Debabrata Rana.
On the cost-effectiveness of the house raising facility, Prince Sisodia, a worker of engaged in the project said, "It is quite cheap as compared to the entire cost of constructing an entirely new building."
The protest was led by veteran Congress leader and former MLA George Tirkey who took to agitation course after Rourkela witnessed unprecedented water logging in several major residential and commercial areas following a long spell of heavy rain for two consecutive days.
The protesters alleged that the civic body never paid heed to their demands to clear the drains in the city.
President of Congress Seva Dal, Rourkela District, Binod Chandra Rout said, "Commuters have to wade through knee-deep water to cross the flyover. We have been forced to release fishes in this water to make the authorities understand the dire situation."
Tirkey was livid on the civic authorities who, as per allegations, never took any step to get the city rid of the nagging water logging problems. "We have spoken to the PWD Executive Engineer, even wrote to the 5T Secretary, Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister many a times citing the issue. But no steps have been taken so far to address the issue."
"If the authorities do not wake up from their slumber, we will certainly gherao the PwD office and lock it up," warned Tirkey.
Not only the over bridge, but the residents of the Jagannath Colony in Panposh slums too faced serious water logging problems during the recent rains. Water ingress into the houses of the residents forced many to take shelter in higher places.
Responding to the allegations, the Commissioner of the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC), Dibya Jyoti Parida said, "We have deployed supervisors and sanitary inspectors in every ward under the Corporation. There has not been any major issue of waterlogging in the city. Wherever problem occurred, we put up pumps to drain out the stagnant rainwater from the inundated areas."
"As far as the Jagannath Colony is concerned, the situation arose because of the absence of drainage system in the area. We have already planned to build drains in that area so that such situation could be avoided in the future," said Parida.
Now, the 10 families in Sankhua village, under Niyami Panchayat of Bhandaripokhari block, who are living under knee-deep water, face an imminent threat of their mud houses crashing down any moment if the administration did not act promptly to drain out the stagnant water.
It all happened when a few villagers decided to dig a pond and an embankment so as to store rainwater to be used for future use in the village. But due to wrong planning, they ended up digging the pit in the opposite direction of the slope. The excavated soil blocked the passage of the rainwater which entered into the fields. Due to incessant rains, the water level rose and entered the village.
Now, the village, situated at a lower level, has accumulated knee-deep water with no possibility of drainage. As a result, the water has sipped the mud walls of the houses which would collapse any moment.
Baishnaba Behera resident of the village said “Few locals of our village are to be blamed for this. They dug the pit without a proposal or planning just because the government was giving away loans for rainwater harvesting. Due to their folly, now the whole village is underwater and hungry. The situation is a health emergency too as hygiene medical attention is a far cry.”
Sebati Behera, another villager alleged that though the water has accumulated in the village for over a month now, the Sarpanch has turned a blind eye to the plight of the villagers. “He is not even responding to our calls for help. The health of our children and families is getting worse day by day due to poor hygienic conditions and we are completely helpless” she added.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the BDO at Bhandaripokhari refused to comment on the issue.
The Congress members demanded immediate intervention to address the poor drainage system in the city. The agitators rued that CMC Commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra was residing in Bhubaneswar indifferent about the waterlogging problems that Cuttack is facing. They also sought resignation of the CMC Mayor Meenakshi Behera holding her responsible for the mess.
"We demand disbursal of compensation to residents whose houses were submerged in drain water during last rain. Why should the people suffer due to the fault of CMC? We also oppose the financial irregularities at the CMC and demand transparency in tendering process. Municipal council's emergency meeting should be convened at the earliest. Otherwise the Congress will oppose the ministers' entry into the city on August 31 for observance of Self Governance Day," Moquim said.
A scuffle also ensued between the Congress activists and police as the cops were trying to disperse the protestors in front of the CMC office.
“We blocked the IOCL road to protest waterlogging in our area. We are marooned and it’s too hard to live in such conditions. Till our demands are not met we will continue our protests,” said Bharati Biswal, a local.
According to the sources, incessant rains across the state recently led to waterlogging in Rangiagarh, Siju, Bagadia, Pradipgarh, Fatehpur and Trilochanpur areas of Jagatsinghpur. The locals blamed that blockage of drainage pathways after the construction of the IOCL plant has given rise to waterlogging problems in the area.
“People in the area are deprived of fresh drinking water and we demand supply of potable water from IOCL Township to the villages. Moreover, waterlogging problems should be addressed as soon as possible," said Paradipgarh sarpanch, Mihir Ranjan Sahoo.
Till last reports came in, locals have called off their strike after discussions with concerned officials.
According to sources, a 5-feet wide cut was made on the national highway in the presence of highway authorities, district magistrate and the police to drain out the water.
The area has remained waterlogged since Rath Yatra following heavy rains in July. Besides Sujata nagar, Mukul Mishra nagar and Gopinath Nagar are also expected to get relief after the work.
As per reports, at least 16 families in these localities were forced to leave their houses following the waterlogging.
Earlier, the district administration had installed motor pumps to pump out water from the area but it was of little help.
While the concerned authorities had claimed to have distributed polythene sheets and medicines, residents of the affected areas alleged that they were not provided with essentials such as food.
District Collector Arvind Agarwal along with officials of different departments today took stock of the situation at Taladanda canal and other important drains in the city and informed that a masterplan will be rolled out soon for the revival of Matrubhavan gate and all the adjoining drains.
"We inspected several drains and found silts in them which need to be cleaned up. A JCB has been commissioned to remove the silts; besides, we will also explore other better mechanisms to clean the silts so that water can be properly discharged," said Agarwal.
The collector also directed the officials from different departments present during the inspection to submit a blueprint of repair work for all the small and big drains.
After incessant rains, citizens had a tough time in Cuttack as several low lying areas were inundated leading to restriction in vehicular movement.
The district administration was also forced to declare holiday for schools because of heavy rains.
The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had earlier deployed 115 pumps to discharge water in the waterlogged areas of the town, especially in low lying places of the city including Roxy Lane, Rajabagicha, Meria Sahi and Patapola.
“A review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister was held on tackling the possible flood situation. CM directed all the district collectors to remain alert and take all necessary steps," Sethi said.
Sethi informed that ODRAF and NDRF teams have also been directed to remain prepared for any eventuality.
To monitor the situation, 24-hour control rooms have been set up in all districts.
Similarly, all the district administrations have been asked to make adequate preparations at places where Independence Day will be celebrated.
The Chief Minister has also asked officials to give special attention so that school students don't have to face hardship during parade.
According to sources, the Chief Minister was also informed that Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Cuttack Municipal Corporation have taken steps to tackle waterlogging in low lying areas of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
The meteorological department has predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain over many places in the national capital along with Gurugram, Manesar, Panipat (Haryana) and adjoining areas during the next 2 hours.
"Thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain would occur over many places of North-west Delhi, Central Delhi, South-Delhi, Southwest-Delhi, Gurugram, Manesar, Sohna, Bhiwadi, Bawal, Narnaul, Kosli, Rewari, Nuh, Manesar (Haryana), Tizara, Alwar, Rajgarh, Deeg, Nagar, Khairthal, Mehndipur, Mahwa, Lachmanngarh, Nadbai (Rajasthan) and adjoining areas during the next 2 hours," IMD tweeted early on Tuesday.
On the other hand, rains resulted in waterlogging which caused long traffic snarls in many areas of Delhi.
An auto-rickshaw was stuck and several cars and buses were partially submerged at Delhi's Pragati Maidan and Mathura road.
"Traffic was affected in front of WHO Building near IP flyover due to water logging," said a traffic police.
As many as 92 panchayats of Dhamnagar, Tihidi, Bhandaripokhari, Banta and Chandbali blocks of the district have been engulfed by the flood waters. A total of 12 panchayats of Tihidi block, 19 Panchayats of Banta block and 4 panchayats of Bhadrak block have been affected.
Meanwhile locals of the flood-hit panchayats of different blocks have alleged delay in the relief and rescue operation "The agricultural fields are waterlogged since the last five days and all the crops have been damaged. The district administration has not taken any steps" rued Prafulla Mallick, a farmer.
On the other hand collector of Bhadrak Gyana Das said that a team has been formed and investigation is underway to assess the damage.
"The deputy director of Agriculture has already formed a team and conducted on spot inspection. The report will be sent to the Special relief Commission after the team submits us a detailed report of the investigation," said Bhadrak collector Gyana Das.
Through the Sonu Song in Odia, the Congress has trained its gun on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Odisha government highlighting their failure to address the waterlogging issues in the city.
“It is an attempt to highlight the genuine issues through the song. Hope the government wakes up from its slumber and takes some concrete measures,” said Bhubaneswar District Congress President, Manas Choudhry.
Earlier, Bhubaneswar district Congress had staged a unique protest by flooding the National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) office over repeated waterlogging in front of ISKCON temple here.
Senior BJD leader Damodar Rout too demanded concrete measures for effective handling of rainwater in the city.
“Several cars were swept away in the recent deluge and those responsible should be punished after a thorough investigation as hundreds of people in the city had to suffer,” said Rout.
Now through the Sonu Song, the Congress has demanded that the Odisha government should resolve the basic issues which are causing numerous problems for the Bhubaneswar residents.
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It is pertinent to mention that after the original Marathi folk song 'Sonu tula mazyawar bharosa naay ka (Sonu, don’t you trust me)' trended on social media, several groups across the country had come up with their own versions of the song to highlight various social issues and problems.
“The issue of man-made flooding has assumed serious proportions in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Through the song, I have tried to send a message so that such issues are resolved,” said Singer Monali.
BMC Mayor Anant Narayan Jena informed that already 10 sensitive and vulnerable points have been identified while special measures would be taken to clear encroachments on various natural drainage channels in different parts of the city.
Jena informed that the decision was taken at a meeting convened by Minister Ashok Panda on Monday.
Besides steps will also be taken to widen the Gangua nullah that carries bulk of the city’s waste water. It is also one of the major natural drainage channels for discharge of excess rainwater.
The Mayor further informed that under no circumstances encroachers will be allowed to block natural drainage channels as the recently-announced amnesty scheme by the government will not be applicable to such illegal constructions.
BMC officials stated that all the encroachments will be cleared within a year and if required, legal assistance will also be sought.
It is pertinent to mention here that several localities in Bhubaneswar were waterlogged following heavy rain on Saturday.
(Photo Source: The Telegraph)
As the heavy downpour continued since yesterday, several streets were flooded while some houses in the low lying areas of the city also got inundated this morning.
The district administration has evacuated 1,500 people from several low-lying areas to 34 shelter homes. People in Hirakud and Burla have been worst affected due to the acute waterlogging, informed Sambalpur Collector.
Also Read: Weather Alert: Thunderstorm, Lightning alert for 9 Odisha districts
While addressing a presser today, Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi informed that Burla recorded highest rainfall of 622 mm in the past 24 hours.
Several areas in Cuttack have been waterlogged following heavy downpour since last night while water has rushed into many houses in low-lying areas at Pithapur, Sutahat, Roxy Lane, Badambadi, Tulasipur, Deula Sahi, Kanika Chhak, Shelter Chhak, Rajabagicha and Dolamundai.
The traffic movement in the city came to a grinding halt today, as water from drains flowing on the roads inundated several localities.
Meanwhile, local residents in Cuttack have blamed the lack of preparedness on part of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and district administration to deal with such emergency.
"Already the Met department had forecast heavy rain. Today's waterlogging clearly shows that no concrete measures were undertaken by the authorities in advance," said Sushant Muduli, a local resident.
Following the deluge, Odisha government ordered the closure of all schools and educational institutions in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar today.
"Since 4 am, we are awake as water started to enter the houses in our locality. We had to move all the household articles to safer places," said Suresh, a resident of Pithapur.
Normal life in Bhubaneswar was also adversely affected following the heavy rain with residents of Acharya Vihar, Nayapalli, Jaydev Vihar, Patia and Sailashree Vihar battling with waterlogging. Local residents blamed the authorities of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) for failing to resolve waterlogging issues.
https://twitter.com/otvnews/status/1020515723880222720
Apart from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, normal life across Odisha was also adversely affected today. Rituals at Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri of Puri district had to be stopped after rain water entered the temple premises today. Devotees blamed poor drainage systems for such chaos at the scared shrine.
https://twitter.com/otvnews/status/1020519126966521856
Devotees from across the State who have thronged Puri for the 'Bahuda Yatra' of the Trinity to be celebrated tomorrow were also left in lurch as they had to wade through knee deep waters.
Several areas including Badadanda, Market Chhak and Marchikote Chhak area of the town remained waterlogged following the heavy rain that lashed the city since yesterday.
https://twitter.com/otvnews/status/1020570381449551873
The Regional Meteorological Centre today forecast heavy rainfall for Odisha in the next 48 hours. As per the latest bulletin, heavy to very heavy rain will occur at isolated places in coastal areas as the low pressure over North-west Bay of Bengal turned into a depression today.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, a decision to construct drains and make provisions of high-discharge pumps was finalised.
According to sources, a tender for the construction work of the drain will be floated next month in a bid to complete the work before next year’s Monsoon.
The project will be executed by the Works Department of the State Government.
“A drain will be constructed underground near ISKCON Temple by the Works Department to discharge rainwater. State government will bear the entire expenses of the project. The stretch to be repaired falls under NHAI jurisdiction but the State government has decided to take up the work,” Padhi said.
On the other hand, BJP accused the State government of neglecting other parts of Odisha.
“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote a letter to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari holding NHAI responsible for the waterlogging problem in Bhubaneswar but I want to ask him - who will he blame for the same problems in other parts of the State,” Odisha BJP secretary, Lekhasri Samantsinghar said.
Meanwhile, the decision of the State government to construct an underground drain has been criticised by some Bhubaneswar residents.
“The big question is where they are going to discharge this underground drain water. Without a concrete structure, discharging the water will be impossible. Construction of such drains will be difficult as people have encroached upon land,” a Bhubaneswar resident said.
Due to incessant heavy rains, artificial lakes were created in the by-lanes and roads at several places in both the urban centres.
The flooded rain water halted vehicular movement on service and approach roads in the capital city. Some areas of Palasuni, GGP Colony, Nayapalli also got inundated with rain water entering houses of the residents. People had a tough time to reach their houses due to stagnant rain water on approach roads.
Similar was the case in Cuttack with many parts of the city flooded due to waterlogging. Several low-lying localities remained waterlogged for hours since the city received a spell of heavy rainfall yesterday. Vehicular movement was also affected here.
Also Read: Thunderstorm, lighting warning for Odisha
Meanwhile, the Met Centre has predicted heavy rainfall in different parts of the State over next 24 hours
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Several low-lying localities in Cuttack remained waterlogged for over 20 hours since the city received highest 155 mm of rainfall last night.
Not only the localities in Pithapur, Badambadi, Gangamandir; collector’s residential office at Tulasipur was also waterlogged.
“Rainwater had receded but again today’s fresh spell of rain had aggravated the waterlogging situation,” said Collector Nirmal Mishra.
Local residents slammed lack of preparedness on part of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for the waterlogging situation in the city.
Besides, the blockages in the main drainage channels to facilitate JICA construction work also created problems in the discharge of the rain water, local residents alleged.
“We had used over 100 high power motor pumps last night but as the intensity of the rain was high, the situation could not be contained in several parts of the city,” said Municipal Commissioner Bikash Mohapatra.
Similar was the case in Smart City Bhubaneswar today with many parts of the city flooded due to waterlogging.
“Most of the drain and road repair works are incomplete for which the residents here are facing severe inconvenience,” said Gitanjali, a local resident.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari on the other hand maintained that, “Waterlogging is common feature in metropolitan cities during monsoon. We have installed pumps at several parts for dewatering localities.”
The situation has become worse with rain water entering the wards of the hospital, bringing misery for patients.
"With water everywhere, the hospital has become completely unhygienic and the patients are risking their lives as there can be a chance of dengue outbreak and other diseases," alleged a patient's relative.
Till now, no efforts have been made to drain out the water, sources said.
Talking to media after a review meeting here, Krishan Kumar said the city has been divided into 12 sectors and 13 teams including one at the control room will be deployed to ensure no waterlogging.
Each team will be supervised by a junior engineer and will be armed with a JCB machine and tractor, he added.
He emphatically stated drainage system cleaning is going on round the clock. “Around 300 to 600 people are working in two shifts to remove garbage from the drains,” he mentioned.
Blaming NHAI for waterlogging near National Highways at Iskcon temple, Pahala and Bomikhal area, Kumar said, “Despite urging the highway authority to build drains for release of excess water, they didn’t pay any heed.”
However, the BMC has engaged 10 pumps to drain water near the highway, he said.
Besides, the BMC has set up a 24-hr control room 06742430038 to take up grievances and help denizens resolve waterlogging issue.
Incessant rains have caused artificial flood like situation in the twin cities today with several residential colonies, low lying areas suffering the brunt of waterlogging as communication was disrupted bringing normal life to a standstill. Places like Acharya Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Krishna Tower, Shastri Nagar, Satyanagar and Laxmi Sagar faced waterlogging issues following the rain. Commuters and pedestrians had a harrowing time to cross roads and people were seen taking shelter below the road over-bridges at Jaydev Vihar, Acharya Vihar, Vani Vihar, Fire Station and Rajmahal Square blocking vehicular traffic.
In Cuttack, torrential downpour filled up several areas with knee deep water bringing traffic to a standstill. Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) used employed 16 volvo water pumps to suck out the excess water while Matrubhavan sluice gate was also opened up to flush out excess rainwater directly into the Taladanda canal.
Water logging complaints were reported from Acharya Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Krishna tower, Iskon temple road, Shastri Nagar and localities near Fire Station. According to reports, water entered houses in many low lying areas of the city throwing life out of gear.
Vehicular traffic was disrupted for long as major streets were inundated, leading to traffic jams following heavy rains in the evening.
The commuters blamed the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation for the poor preparedness to tackle waterlogging during monsoon.
“The locality is waterlogged even in a short spell of rain. We are beating drums of being a Smart City but the residents are still deprived of proper drainage channels,” said Pradip, a resident of Acharya Vihar.
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Though the rains brought respite from the humid conditions and brought down the mercury, the water-logged roads and potholes brought traffic to a halt in many areas, even as the traffic police was actively listing routes that should be avoided due to water-logging.
Traffic is affected at Vivek Vihar underpass, Seemapuri underpass and under the Ghazipur flyover, from Apsara Border to Shahdara, Seemapuri to Apsara Border and Khaira Mor to Bahadurgarh Bus Stand (all in east Delhi) and Najafgarh (west Delhi) due to water logging. Kindly avoid these stretches."
"Traffic is affected from Naraina T Point to Loha Mandi (west Delhi) due to water logging on Girdhari Lal Goswami Marg," the police tweeted.
Commuters across the city and region faced a multitude of problems.
"It always happens. The entire Delhi-Meerut Expressway gets water-logged during the monsoon. Today was worse.
"I had to reach my office at Connaught Place but couldn't start in time. I usually commute by bike. Today, I had to struggle in getting public transport too," said Karanpreet Singh, a 32-year-old accountant.
A commuter travelling from Kalkaji Extension to Noida said that covering the route usually takes 25 minutes but due to heavy rains on Thursday, the streets were completely choked.
"The travelling time went up to 1.2 hours. There was heavy traffic from Sarita Vihar underpass till Kalindi Kunj. And from Kalindi Kunj to Noida Sector 18," he said.
People of Noida, Ghaziabad and other border areas of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi turned out to be the worst sufferers.
A video, apparently from Ghaziabad, went viral on WhatsApp, showing a path turn into a waterfall with the rain water running on it flowing into a big dug up part of a road.
"When roads turn into rivers, you feel like you are rowing your car," a 49-year-old man commented sarcastically said, about the state of roads in Noida.
Another one complained about getting late for work as cabs were not available early in the morning.
"While it was pleasant to get some respite, it was a horrible experience to travel to work. There were no cabs or auto-rickshaws available. I wasted half an hour to book a cab on both Uber and Ola but to no avail.
"I finally had to walk through water-logged basement of my apartment and the waterlogged roads till I managed to get a ride from another commuter. There was heavy traffic as well. All factors put together, it took me an extra hour for a half an hour commute," said 29-year-old Vishwajeet, a public relations manager
As per reports, at least 16 families in the two localities have been forced to leave their houses. Worth mentioning that Sujat Nagar and Matitota have remained waterlogged since heavy rains battered the district after Rath Yatra in July.
Although the district administration installed heavy motor pumps to pump out water from the area, it was of little help.
While the concerned authorities claimed to have distributed polythene sheets and medicines, residents of the affected areas alleged that they have not been provided with food.
“We have neither shelter nor food. My children are starving. We are forced to live outdoors since the last five days. Only medicines and plastics sheets are not enough, ” said a local of Sujat Nagar affected due to the waterlogging.
“Our houses have been completely destroyed due to the waterlogging and we are forced to live under open sky. I request the concerned administration to take immediate measures,” said another resident of the locality.
Also Read: Heavy rains lash Odisha as low pressure turns into depression
Meanwhile, Puri Collector Jyotiprakash Das held a meeting with the Sub Collector and officials of Water Resources and drainage division following which a team visited the area to take stock of the situation.
“We are discussing with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to make a temporary cut on the highway so that the water can be flushed out and the drainage system can be cleared,” informed Puri Collector Jyoti Prakash Das
“ As per the directive of district collector, we are assessing the amount of the water being discharged through the drainage channel. As soon as it is done, we will jointly make plans to resolve the issue,” said Project Director of NHAI, Sishu Mohan.
The deceased identified as Harihar Patnaik (55) was returning home at around 8.30 pm when the mishap took place.
Patnaik was crossing an uncovered drain overflowing with rainwater when he slipped into the waters and swept away in the current, informed eyewitnesses.
Though Patnaik was rescued by Fire personnel and rushed to the Capital Hospital here, he succumbed while undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Meanwhile, locals held the civic body responsible for the mishap and alleged that the incident took place due to the uncovered drain and waterlogging.
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“A new drain will be built there under Roads & Buildings (R&B) division of Works department for which the tender has already been passed. The drain will be expanded and connected to drainage channel No.8 to tackle waterlogging issue in the area,” informed Bhubaneswar Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena adding that shields of the drain were recently removed to take up the repair work.
Demanding the resignation of CMC commissioner Bikash Mohapatra and Mayor Meenakshi Behera, Congress corporators raised slogans which led to the disruption of the council meeting.
Sources said, the Congress corporators wanted a discussion on the waterlogging issue first before any other issue during the council meeting.
"Due to the callous attitude of the CMC officials, the city had to witness severe waterlogging condition last month. The sluice gates were opened between 9 am- 9.30 am and even the officials were not present in the office during such emergency situation," alleged Congress CMC corporator, Giribala Behera.
Behera further alleged that CMC officials did not take any measures even though the government and met department had issued heavy rain alert much in advance.
On the other hand, Cuttack Mayor Meenakshi Behera termed the protests by the opposition as 'unfortunate'.
"They should have raised the matter in the independent sessions of the council. This was the special council meeting of the CMC and it was not the right forum to discuss the issue." stated Behera.
Several low-lying areas remained waterlogged for a few hours after heavy rain lashed the millennium city in the early hours today.
The heavy downpour created numerous problems, especially those engaged in the emergency services including supply of milk, grocery and other items.
Earlier in the day, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar had issued heavy rain warning for several parts of the State including the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
Rainfall Information:
-Bhubaneswar AWS (Airport): 78 mm Begunia ARG: 40 mm
KIIT ARG: 49.5 mm
Rajiv Bhawan ARG: 17 mm
Cuttack Krishi Vigyan Kendra: 69 mm
Cuttack ARG: 58.5 mm
Last #24Hrs (yesterday 0830 Hrs IST to today 0830Hrs IST) Chief amount of rainfall recorded at different locations of Odisha today at 0830 Hrs IST of today, 23rd June .#Monsoon2021 #monsoon #monsoonseason pic.twitter.com/1uJCEvq3H0
— Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar (@mcbbsr) June 23, 2021
Several areas in Nayapalli, Laxmi Sagar and Sundarpada were also waterlogged in Bhubaneswar. Local residents alleged that due to blockage in drainage channels, they are facing problems in case of heavy rain.
Earlier, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had claimed to have made elaborate arrangements for discharge of rain water from the low lying areas in the Smart City. The civic body officials said that high-power pump sets have been installed to drain out rain water in low lying areas. Apart from this, a dedicated control room is also functioning round-the-clock.
People in affected pockets particularly in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Balasore, Ganjam alleged that the State government was more concerned in tackling the cyclone while it failed miserably to undertake measures to deal with situation following the heavy rainfall.
Odisha Chief Secretary AP Padhi informed that the State received extremely heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours under the impact of Cyclone Titli.
“It is very difficult to predict and nobody including IMD was able to say that the Cyclone Titli system will move towards Rayagada and we also didn’t expect there will be heavy rainfall in Kandhamal as per weather forecasts. It will not be justified to say there will be floods in which river. However, we are fully prepared to face the situation,” said Padhi.
Padhi further informed that G.Udaygiri block in Kandhamal and Katapada in Cuttack received highest rainfall of over 300 mm in the past 24 hours while 16 blocks received rainfall between 200 to 300 mm. Nearly 60 blocks in Odisha recorded a rainfall between 100 to 200 mm.
“The cyclone is presently around Phulbani and Angul and it will move northwest wards and under its impact heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in northern parts of the State.
This also provided an opportunity to opposition parties to target Odisha government for its inefficiency in tackling post-natural calamity situation.
“Government’s bizarre claim that they were only prepared for Titli not flood speaks volumes about its ignorance in tackling natural calamity,” tweeted BJP spokesperson, Pitambar Acharya.
Though India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted heavy rainfall and issued ‘Red’ and ‘Orange’ alerts from several districts including in coastal areas, no steps were taken to deal with floods and waterlogging in several parts of the State.
The water-level of several major rivers in Ganjam, Gajapati and Balasore has risen considerably and triggered flash floods following incessant rains in the last 24 hours.
According to reports, water is flowing 6 metres above the danger mark in Jalaka river in Balasore district.
Similarly, flood water has entered into Baunsalundi, Jamapalli, Gamundi and several areas in Bhanjanagar of Ganjam district.
Water level in the Bada and Loharakhandi river is also reportedly flowing above the danger mark.
“Even as the cyclone Titli made a landfall early on Thursday, in its impact the State received heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. No steps were taken to ensure quick discharge of rain water from affected pockets in the city. As a result, the residents were trapped inside the homes due to acute waterlogging conditions since early morning today,” said Prakash Sahu, a resident of Cuttack.
Sahu further alleged that the waterlogging situation was more serious than the flooding that was caused in the month of July this year.
Deputy Mayor, Cuttack, Ajay Barik on the other hand informed that the waterlogging condition assumed serious proportion as the city witnessed more rain than anticipated.
“We have already deployed motor-pumps to dewater several localities that have remained waterlogged,” said Barik.
Not only Cuttack, several localities in Bhubaneswar remained waterlogged even though the municipal corporation authorities claimed to have undertaken several measures to tackle the situation.
As per the latest forecast, the low pressure over Bay of Bengal is intensifying and it will trigger heavy rain in several parts of the State in the next 24 hours.
Even though the intensity of rain reduced considerably today, there was no end to the misery of people owing to acute waterlogging conditions.
Several localities in Kendrapara district have been inundated due to continuous downpour in the last 24 hours. The district collector has ordered for evacuation of people staying in low-lying areas due to waterlogging conditions.
Former MP Baijayant Panda's team distributes relief materials at isolated places in Kendrapada that have remained waterlogged due to incessant rain.
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"I'm out of #Odisha but monitoring the situation closely, if it starts flooding I'll rush back ahead of schedule," wrote Panda on Twitter.
>Heavy rains have led to waterlogging in some patches of Kendrapada, & some isolated families are affected
>I'm out of Odisha but monitoring the situation closely, if it starts flooding I'll rush back ahead of schedule
>Meantime my team has distributed relief materials last night pic.twitter.com/4hbXxg0ARP— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) September 7, 2018
Similarly, there has been a rise in the water level of Gobara river while the administrative officials have been put on alert.
Heavy downpour triggered by a low pressure system over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, left Bhubaneswar and several low lying areas in the city including Jaydev Vihar, Old Town area, Kalpana square area, Sashtri Nagar etc flooded. Similarly, water in and around the Iskcon temple swelled and stayed put without getting drained.
Last month on July 1, few hours of intense rainfall led to inundation in front of the Iskcon temple and several other areas throwing normal life out of gear in the capital city.
The incident triggered a public outcry as political parties engaged in war of words. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) also blamed each other over the issue.
Also Read: Weather Alert: Thunderstorm, lightning alert for 8 Odisha districts
The BMC issued showcase notices to several institutions and hotels including the Iskcon temple administration that were allegedly encroaching land near the highway thereby blocking the primary drainage facility.
Later the city municipal authorities had demolished several structures to evict unauthorised constructions and clear drainage and sewerage to prevent inundation of areas surrounding the temple.
Low lying areas in almost all disctricts including the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar remained waterlogged due to the incessant rain triggered by a low pressure system over northwest Bay of Bengal.
Bhubaneswar recorded a record 102 mm rainfall between the evening and midnight of Monday, causing waterlogging at several places like Jaydev Vihar, Nayapalli, CRP and Paika Nagar. Rainwater entered houses in areas like Sashtri Nagar, Nayapalli and other low lying lanes and bylanes of the city.
Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation authorities have geared up to tackle the situation and issued toll free helpline numbers 18003450061, 0674-2432281 to faciliate assistance.
The disctrict administrations of Cuttack and Khurda declared closure of all educational institutions in view of the heavy rains.
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Traffic movement was severely hit as rainwater inundated several localities in Cuttack. As many as 190 motor pumps have been installed to flush out excess rainwater from low lying areas, informed sources.
Puri received the highest rainfall in the last 24 hrs at 305 mm . The pilgrim town wore artificial flood like situation with waist deep water inundating the Badadanda near Srimandir. A wall measuring over hundred-feet length surrounding the Indradyumna Tank in the ancient town collapsed. While 50-feet length of the wall collapsed on the Gopinath temple side, another 60-feet of the wall adjoining the Radhakrushna temple collapsed.A culvert collapsed near Kankadamendhi in Daspalla block of Nayagarh disrupting communication between Badala and Chakapadar.
Similarly, a man died and his wife sustained critical injuries after the wall of their house at Bedasahi village in Panchupali panchayat under Ghasipur block in Keonjhar district.
The Bhubaneswar Regional Meteorological Centre has issued heavy rainfall alert for districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh in the next 24 hours.
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With the low pressure system likely to turn into a well marked low pressure today, heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted to occur today in Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Deogarh and Dhenkanal districts, a statement from the met office said.
Similarly, the heavy showers have caused swelling in Jalaka and Subarnarekha rivers with flood threat looming large in Basta block of Balasore. The water level was flowing above the danger mark of 5.5 metre in Jalaka River when the reports lat came in. In Subarnarekha, the water level is at 8.86 and inching closer to the danger mark of 10.36 metre.
More rains likely to lash northern, coastal & southern parts of Odisha in next 24 hours, informed Met Centre Director HR Biswas.
Keeping pace with the flooding of large parts of the city, social media has been flooded with jokes, wisecracks and memes – all of them with a mandatory reference to the ‘Smart City’ – aimed at civic authorities for their failure to save the people from inundation of streets and homes. Someone suggests the city authorities should withdraw town buses and introduce a boat service – a ‘Smart Boat Service in the Smart City’, as a joke on a FM station put it tellingly - instead. Angry at the civic authorities for their apathy to this recurring problem, someone else says the ‘’kumbhakarna sarkar’ would wake up only when Naveen Nivas is flooded.
Not everyone had time for humour though. Most people were just too busy draining out water from their flooded houses and saving their precious belongings from damage. Pramod, who lives in ‘posh’ Jayadaev Vihar, woke up on Friday morning to find his bed room flooded; the fridge, washing machine and even a fully stuffed almirah spread-eagled on the floor. What he saw after wading through knee-deep water and coming out was even more bizarre. The lock on the gate had been broken open! It was as if a thief had barged in. But no, it was only the force of the storm water that had done this to the lock. The bike had been dislodged from its stand and swept off some 100 feet away and was lying in front of a neighbour’s house! There was a beep in the car which a mechanic later identified as a short circuit in the battery. Cooking was clearly unthinkable in this situation. When asked about the cooked food the administration says it is providing marooned people, Pramod broke into an angry retort. “I haven’t seen any in my area,” he said.
Pramod’ ordeal was typical of what thousands of others in the ‘Smart City’ had to endure during the last three days. But things were much more difficult for those living in the numerous low lying slums that dot the city because unlike their middle class fellow victims of rains, they lost their livelihood apart from their belongings.
It is hard to believe it is the same city that did not know what water logging is some two decades ago. Given its topography, there is no conceivable reason to explain this newest phenomenon called ‘urban flooding’. In fact, one of the factors that influenced the shifting of the capital from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar was the latter’s undulating terrain that ensured that rainwater got drained out in next to no time and did not accumulate in residential areas or roads. I remember the days when rainwater, even after a prolonged and heavy downpour, cleared out of roads within minutes. Little did one know then that there would come a time when it would take days for rainwater to drain out after just an hour of rains. It is clear that it is entirely a man-made problem created by a combination of unscientific planning, blockage of the main drainage systems, indiscriminate construction of high rises and proliferation of shanties. The flyovers cutting through the middle of the city have only made things much worse.
Past experience of grappling with this problem suggests piecemeal efforts like pumping out water, clearing clogged drainage lines and making trenches for accumulated water to drain out would not do. It would need a holistic, long-term plan to solve this problem, which is bound to get worse in the days ahead given the constant rise in the city’s population and the uneven pattern of rains. Fixing this problem would obviously require some harsh, unpopular decisions that may cause some temporary disruption too. But that is the only way we can save our city from going under water in future.
Smart City can wait. Let us fix the drainage problem first.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same).
The local residents have blamed the authorities for drainage problems citing the newly constructed National Highway along the area as the major reason of water-logging.
“It's been two months that our house is surrounded with water. Nothing has been done so far to dewater the locality. They have brought the pumps but are not using them,” alleged a local.
Accepting the fact, the Municipality members stated that despite continuous pumping, the streets are getting waterlogged due to heavy rainfall.
City Municipality chairperson Jayanta Sarangi said, “Water in the streets could not be channelled to nearby water body because of the construction of the NH. We have already spent lakhs to dewater the locality. Sometimes we got water pumps from the fire brigade and a few times we brought pumps on rent. But again after spells of rain, our efforts go futile."
Sources further claimed that the local Municipality has also written a letter to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) urging them to construct a Road Under Bridge (RUB) on the NH to solve the issues of water-logging.
Both of them also held talks with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure zero waterlogging on the stretch between CRP square and Acharya Vihar in the city.
“From CRP square to Jaydev Vihar and Acharya Vihar areas, waterlogging has been a regular affair. Being on the national highway, the road and it’s adjacent areas remain inundated during the rainy season. As the NHAI is not cleaning up drains and taking necessary steps, it is responsible for the waterlogging woes,” said the minister.
“In front of the Iskcon temple we had created an earth drain last year. Now we have removed encroachment near Jaydev Vihar and a drain has been built to release excess water into main drainage canal. Another drainage system has been constructed in front of Mamata Dalei School to dispose the water into the system,” informed Anant Narayan Jena.
Every year several low lying areas in the city including Jaydev Vihar, Old Town area, Kalpana square area, Sashtri Nagar suffer from severe inundation during rainy season. Similarly, water in and around the Iskcon temple swells and stays put without getting drained.
Due to low-lying bridges in many areas of the district, waterlogging has become a major issue for the locals. To resolve it, Public & Works Department (PWD) had begun three bridge projects near MV-11 on Balimela-Malkangiri Main Road, Korukonda and MV-37 back in the year 2016 but they are yet to be completed.
The contract of the project was given to Vijayawada-based RR Infratech company and it was started with an estimated budget of Rs 5.98 crore. Now, it has touched Rs 11.73 crore but there is no sign of its completion.
Though the deadline to complete the bridges is already over, the inaction of PWD over the delay has sparked resentment among the denizens.
“With little rain, the area gets submerged and the administration is responsible for this. The contracts of all the three bridges were given to the same company. Therefore, the concerned administration should investigate the nexus in it,” said a local Sanu Anugu.
Another local resident, Banshi Muduli, said, “Once rain starts, communication will be completely disrupted in the area. Thousands of people including students will get affected. We will be benefitted if the district administration finds a way to solve the problem.”
On the other hand, Malkangiri Sub Collector Rameswar Pradhan assured that construction of bridges would be completed by December.
“We have given them a target to complete the construction work by December. The design of the bridges were changed which is the reason behind the delay," said Pradhan.
The Regional Meteorological Science Centre of IMD in Bhubaneswar predicted that under the influence of the well-marked low pressure near West Bengal, Odisha coast and its adjoining areas, the State would continue to receive incessant rainfall till Wednesday.
The administrations of eight districts- Jajpur, Kendrapara, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh and Bargarh have been asked to remain alert in view of the Red Warning (take action) & heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast issued by the IMD for the next 24 hours.
Latest #WeatherUpdates by Duty Officer of #Bhubaneswar Meteorological Department Charan Behera #Odisha pic.twitter.com/aDFO0SWAIj
— OTV (@otvnews) July 2, 2019
Similarly, the weather department has also predicted thunderstorm and lightning warning for parts of Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Nayagarh districts.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall in north Odisha. The intensity of rainfall will decrease after 24 hours except in western parts of Odisha, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places,” informed Director of IMD, Bhubaneswar HR Biswas.
On the other hand, normal life has been thrown out of gear across the State due to enhanced rainfall activities since yesterday. Several low-lying areas in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar have been waterlogged forcing residents to stay indoors. Vehicular communication has also been hit due to inundation of major roads in the low lying areas.
Heavy downpours throw normal life out of gear in #Cuttack #Odisha (Report by Debasis Mohanty-Deferred live visuals) pic.twitter.com/qoCgVn11c0
— OTV (@otvnews) July 2, 2019
Similarly, torrential rainfall has inundated Badadanda and other adjoining regions in Puri Town where Rath Yatra festivities will begin from Thursday.
“In the last 24 hours, Chandbali has recorded the highest rainfall at 122.3 mm followed by Bolangir at 92.6 mm, Bhubaneswar -70.8, Sonepur -70.0 mm, Cuttack-55.4 mm, Sambalpur-58.6 and Hirakud-50.2,” informed Charan Behera, Duty Officer of Bhubaneswar Met Centre.
Commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Ananya Das informed that attempts to drain out excess water from inundated low lying areas of the city are underway.
As per reports, the incident occurred due to acute waterlogging following thundershowers that lashed the Smart City this evening.
Eyewitnesses said that the elderly woman got swept away after she fell in the open drain. Later, the locals and police recovered Akkama's body from the drain.
The incident sparked tension with irate locals staging a road blockade by placing the dead body on VIP road.
Following the incident, senior officials of Commissionerate Police including Twin City police commissioner Satyajit Mohanty and Bhubaneswar DCP Anup Sahoo reached the spot and held discussions with the agitators.
Several areas in Bhubaneswar including Nayapalli and Jaydev Vihar were waterlogged following the heavy downpour this evening. Resentment is also brewing among locals residents over absence of proper drainage.
"Roads are flooded even after a short spell of rain. As there are potholes and several open drains, there is always a risk to life," said a commuter.
In Bolangir town, schools, hospitals, residential buildings, and government offices have been severely flooded by rainwater. The flood-affected locals have alleged that they are yet to receive any kind of help from the local administration.
“Our homes are filled with water after flooding. The situation is so bad that we are not able to cook food. No relief material has been supplied yet,” said a Bolangir town local.
Some residents have also alleged that due to construction of Laxmizor Dam, waterlogging is severely affecting the area.
“We had never witnessed such a situation and it is happening only because of the dam which is stopping the water,” said another resident.
After the situation worsened today morning, police along with Fire Department officials of Bolangir and Loisingha launched rescue operations to relocate marooned locals.
Speaking on the matter, District Emergency Officer of Bolangir, Shankarshan Pradhan, said “Members of the Fire department and cops have launched rescue operations. Soon, cooked food will be given to the residents.”
Bolangir Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Srimant Barik said, “We have rescued 60 to 70 people since morning. The rescued persons include children and elderly residents.”
Till now, 216 mm rainfall has been recorded from 6 AM yesterday to 6 AM today in Bolangir district.
After a sudden increase in the water level of Rajua river yesterday evening, most parts of Orabarasingh panchayat under Khurda block were submerged. As many as ten villages of the block including Hirimula, Orami, Dihakhala, Orabarasingh and Sharadhapur are reeling under flood situation.
More than 10,000 villagers have been affected due to the flood. However, in a brief relief for the villagers, the Khurda administration has made arrangements to provide cooked food to the affected people. Also, a medical team has been sent to the area to provide healthcare facilities.
"Flood water entered our village last evening and we are suffering a lot due to it,” said Gurubari Chhotaray, a flood victim.
Another resident of Hirimula village, Pandaba Mangaraj, said, "Food cannot be cooked as there is knee-deep water inside our houses. Our cattle are also hungry. We want the State government to help us."
After the authorities of Hirakud Dam released floodwater in Mahanadi, many villages under eight panchayats of Tigiria and Banki blocks of Cuttack district have been flooded. Road communication has also been affected as floodwater is flowing above the bridges at different places.
Following two breaches in Karandia river, floodwater has entered Dihabalarampur village under Ayatpur panchayat in Kendrapara district. Flood like situation has also arised in four villages in Kujang-Ramaha area of Jagatsinghpur district.
"We are waterlogged for the past three days. Farmlands are inundated and patients are suffering a lot as water is flowing above roads," said Madhu Mallick, a resident of Banki.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Secretary PK Jena said there is no flood threat now as inflow of water at Hirakud dam has dropped substantially since Thursday.
While 20 of the 64 sluice gates of Hirakud dam were opened on Thursday to release excess water, 10 of them were closed on Friday following substantial fall in the volume of water entering the reservoir and its level, Jena said.
The volume of inflow as well as outflow at the dam was recorded at 1,74,386 cusec at 6 PM, he said.
The water level in Mahanadi stood at 24.82 metre at Naraj in Cuttack as against the danger level of 26.41 metre, while it was 8.45 metre at Alipangal, much below the danger level of 11.76 metre, he added.
Jena said the excess floodwater which was released from Hirakud dam on Thursday will soon pass through Munduli barrage in Cuttack and the situation will be normal.
Joint Relief Commissioner Pravat Mohapatra said, "Though Banki and Damapada block have been waterlogged, slowly water will recede in those areas as less water is being released from Hirakud dam."
(With Agency Inputs)
Under the impact of heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, the water level is rising in Brahmani river. However, the administration has ruled out occurrence of a full-fledged flood in the area. Several low lying areas in Rourkela, Biramitrapur, Vedvyas and Lefripada witnessed waterlogged conditions today after rise in water level in major rivers like Brahmani, Ichha.
All the 11 gates of Mandira Dam situated near Rourkela have been opened to release floodwater in Brahmani river. Residents living in low lying areas and downstream of the river bed have been asked not to venture out into the river. Authorities have also been alerted to closely monitor the situation.
In Balasore too, heavy rainfall has caused widespread inundation leading to flood-like situation in Basta, Rasagobindpur, Morada, Suliapada, Chitrata. The level of water is rising in Jalaka river due to continous rainfall in the upstream areas of the river.
Floodwater is flowing 5.5 metre abover the danger level near Mathani. The administration has issued warning in as many as 10 panchayats of Basta block and 2 panchayats of Sadar block.
Meanwhile, two more gates of Hirakud Dam have also been opened to release floodwater from Mahanadi. At present, floodwater is being discharged from the reservoir through 7 gates.
Needless to say, water-logging woes have once again returned to haunt the residents as a rainfall that lasted for less than an hour led to flooding of streets. Artificial lakes were created in the by-lanes and roads at several places in the urban centre.
The situation near Police Commissionerate building was such that movement of cars, auto-rickshaws and even two-wheelers formed tidal waves in the area.
The devotees who thronged ISKCON temple in Bhubaneswar to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna vented their anger as they had to negotiate with the waist-deep water outside the temple to have darshan of the Lord.
Waterlogging in several parts of #Bhubaneswar including stretch of national highway in front of ISKCON temple following a brief spell of rain #Odisha pic.twitter.com/jLM7txwtJJ
— OTV (@otvnews) August 23, 2019
Not only this, the flooded rain water halted vehicular movement on service and approach roads in the capital city. Some low-lying areas of Palasuni, GGP Colony, Nayapalli, Jaydev Vihar, Acharya Vihar also got inundated with rain water entering houses of the residents. People had a tough time to reach their houses due to stagnant rain water on approach roads.
Smart city's biggest problem returns to haunt its denizens! Not only main roads & highways, #Watch how residential areas grapple with water-logging#BhubaneswarWaterlogged #Odisha pic.twitter.com/gLChv4r0Ei
— OTV (@otvnews) August 23, 2019
As per the onlookers' account, three unidentified youth entered the area late last night which was already flooded after heavy rain. Though local residents tried to alert them; they didn't heed the warning and entered the alley and were swept away as the current of the rainwater flowing over the road was quite strong. The whole episode was captured in a nearby CCTV camera and revealed how dangerous the roads of Bhubaneswar become after rain.
Thankfully nobody was injured in the incident, but it did send shockwaves as waterlogging woes are compounding for the denizens of the smart city.
It is alleged that the construction of a box drain in that area commenced four years back, but it is still incomplete leading to drainage issues. "We have been complaining for years, but all our grievances fall on deaf years. Different BMC Commissioners have come to this area at different times in the last four years, but the situation remains same," said a local.
Another youth who is staying in that area for 3 years said, "Flooding in the area after rain is a common phenomenon. Sometimes we can't come to our house and it's irritating."
As per the latest IMD bulletin, a low pressure area lies over North Odisha and neighbourhood with associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean seal level tilting southwards.
Under its impact, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur with extremely heavy rainfall in four districts- Sonepur, Bargarh, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda in the next 24 hours.
Orange warning has also been issued for eight districts-Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Angul, Boudh, Bolangir, Nuapada and Nabarangpur. Similarly, heavy rainfall is also likely to lash isolated places in the districts of Koraput, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Mayurbhanj.
In a letter, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has directed district collectors (under the Red and Orange warning districts) to keep administrative machinery fully prepared to meet any possible flood, waterlogging or landslide which may arise during intense rainfall.
‘Special arrangements should be made for the evacuation of people from vulnerable locations to safe shelters and also make arrangements for adequate food, drinking water and lighting at such shelter or relief camps,’ a letter by the SRC stated.
The civic body has already submitted the proposals comprising 23 projects to the state government, the official said.
About Rs 34.33 crore is estimated for civil construction while around Rs 7.59 crore is proposed to be spent for acquisition of private land, he said.
Construction of the stormwater drains in different locations is a major component of the plan, the official said.
The civic body has also proposed to strengthen the capacity of Bahana and Sapua nullahs, the two major drains in the city, said BeMC commissioner Chakravarti Singh Rathore.
The plan is being prepared by the drainage division, Berhampur and Ganjam district Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange has been monitoring it, he said.
"We will discuss with the ministers concerned and secretaries about the BeMC's proposal and try to implement along with the dredging and widening of Bahana and Sapua drains for permanent solution of the waterlogging problem of the city," said Berhampur MP and former union minister Chandra Sekhar Sahu.
Due to the incessant rain for the last three days, several areas of the city were waterlogged.
Rain and drain water entered the residential houses at some places such as Gajapati Nagar, Nilanchal, Gandhi Nagar, Haradakhandi and Ramahari on Thursday and people from low- lying areas were forced to shift.
BeMC commissioner said the current situation was due to unprecedented downpour and the volume of water exceeded the capacity of the two drains.
Now the situation is normal, even though the rainfall continues, officials added.
The Parliamentarian from Bhubaneswar mentioned that in course of her visits to different parts of the city, the general residents, civil society organisations and Resident Welfare Associations have been complaining about the severe inconvenience caused due to waterlogging and lack of adequate drainage system. In view of this, the MP said the government and the local administration needs to work on this on an urgent basis to alleviate distress which the residents of Bhubaneswar are subjected to year after year.
Reportedly during its recent visit to Odisha on January 17-18, 2020, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development discussed key concerns with State officials and chalked out strategies to address the water-logging issues while highlighting the major drawbacks.
The Committee pointed out that in spite of recurrent water logging incidence in Bhubaneswar, a comprehensive Master Plan to combat the problem has not been prepared so far. A plan prepared by Meinhardt, Singapore in 2008, partly addresses the requirement but it lacks in terms of detailing and is inadequate as it does not factor in a lot of essential requirements including land acquisition costs. While the aforementioned Plan proposed construction of natural drains in two phases, the need for construction of all internal drains and making them part of the overall plan for effective discharge of stormwater has not been fully considered, the findings said.
Sarangi's letter mentioned, "It has also come to the notice of the Parliamentary Standing Committee that construction of 13 (3 additional) natural drains will require land acquisition and freeing up Government land from encroachments. This has not been considered while preparing the Detailed Project Report in 2008."
While Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have listed out 37 vulnerable points in the city which are prone to inundation, Rs 110 crore is reportedly being sanctioned by State Government to address the drainage issue.
However, a glance at the breakup of the proposed expenditure of Rs 110 crore reveals adhocism, stated the MP.
Highlighting this breakup point, the MP further said that taxpayers' money will be dribbled away in the absence of a holistic approach.
Therefore, Sarangi has urged CM Naveen to issue appropriate instructions to the concerned authorities for gainful utilisation of Rs 110 crore and ensuring that drainage work is taken up keeping in view the requirements of 37 vulnerable points and not spending by just distributing it ward-wise. Also, a systematic and sustainable approach should be brought in towards desilting of drains and preparation of a comprehensive Master Plan by taking into consideration all the natural/internal drains and overall cost implication thereof, she opined while pledging complete support to the development.