Bikers brave the heavy downpour on Bailey Road in Patna on Sunday afternoon. Telegraph picture

When clouds gather, residents of the upscale localities near Ashiana drain pray that the sky doesn’t burst.

Monsoon is hell for people staying in Khajpura, Samanpura, Ramnagari and Ashiana Nagar. Thousands of people living in these localities are forced to live in filthy drain water around their houses, as small drains leading to the huge Ashiana drain is choked.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) started cleaning the drain a few days ahead of the monsoon. Though the rain lashed the state capital late (June 19), the PMC’s clean-up act is yet to be completed. To make matters worse, the Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam (BRPNN) has undertaken the task of concretising the entire Ashiana drain.

The ducts connecting the Ashiana drain — around 3km in length, which stretches from Bailey Road to Digha locality — have remained blocked because of the ongoing PMC and BRPNN work. This resulted in overflowing drain water around the houses in the locality.

Residents said they have informed the civic agency about their ordeal but no one paid heed to their pleas.

“Because of the ongoing repair and concretising work of Ashiana drain, the contractor has blocked the discharge points of drains and sewerage flowing into this naala. As a result, the sewerage chambers and drains in our houses on Akashvani Road and other adjoining areas have choked. Now, our toilet chambers are overflowing and excreta are spilling all over. The unhygienic conditions will trigger health hazards,” said Ramadhar, a retired IAS officer and a resident of Khajpura.

Around 600 houses in the locality have been severely affected because of the choked drains. In many houses, even water from bathrooms cannot pass through. Besides, water often gets accumulated in low areas.

“There is water logging at many places. With another downpour, the situation will deteriorate and spiral out of control. The entire area will become a cesspool with filth, garbage and human excreta floating all around,” added Ramadhar.

The Khajpura resident has written letters to PMC commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal but has not received any reply yet.

Many residents said while the situation has been grim for one month, Saturday’s downpour has made matters worse.

“We called up the PMC control room two days ago to narrate the problem. A junior functionary came and promised to return immediately with the inspector. But none of them turned up. This is sheer irresponsibility on the authorities’ part. Cleaning of drains and the repair work should have been completed before monsoon so that such hazardous situations do not arise. We should be spared of the agony,” said Om Prakash Singh, another resident of the locality.

PMC authorities, however, maintained that it was the slow pace of work of the contractor hired by the BRPNN that led to the quandary.

“We have almost completed the drain-cleaning work and the blockades have been removed by our workers. But the project to cover up the entire drain with concrete slab is being undertaken by BRPNN and this has led to blockades at some connectors. We have asked them to clear those blockades at the earliest,” said Sheshank Shekhar Sinha, the executive officer of New Capital circle of the PMC. The area falls under the circle.

He added that the PMC was attending to the residents’ complaints but the concretisation of the entire drain might lead to a bigger problem in the future. “The way the drain is being covered up by the BRPNN, they are not leaving any cleaning points. When we need to clean up the drain in the future, the road being made over it, will have to be dug up. We have written to the BRPNN expressing the concern,” Sinha said.