Cracks in a building in Behala, caused by pipe-laying work. A Telegraph picture

Work under Calcutta Environment Improvement Project (CEIP) to prevent waterlogging is only compounding the problem in some city pockets.

Areas plagued by waterlogging only during monsoon are now being forced to put up with the menace round the year, with water from drains, blocked to lay pipelines, invading several homes. Besides, cracks have appeared in several houses because of “unrestrained digging” in the vicinity for laying the pipes.

The project, being funded by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank, is being executed in boroughs 1, 11, 12, 13 and 14. CEIP officials said the complaints of waterlogging and cracks in the buildings are mostly pouring in from boroughs 11, 13 and 14.

Among the affected areas are Parnasree, Rabindra Nagar, Adarsha Pally, Hemanta Mukherjee Road, Pathak Para, Thakurpukur, Haridevpur and Garia.

To tackle the problems, mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya recently held a meeting with municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay, borough chairpersons, councillors and senior CEIP officials.

The meeting decided to undertake immediate cleaning of the surface drains and repair of the damaged buildings.

“But nothing has been done,” alleged borough 14 chairman Sovan Chatterjee. “The situation will spin out of control if remedial measures are not taken before monsoon… People whose houses have been damaged are running from pillar to post for repairs. Some of the houses damaged as early as in November 2006 are yet to be repaired.”

Similar grievances were aired by Ratna Sur, borough 13 chairperson.

The mayor said he was aware of the problem and efforts are on to redress it. “Repairs are being delayed because of some legal complications.”