Chhapra, Aug. 25: Waterlogging and waste littered around have become a feature of the township this monsoon.

An hour of heavy showers today made the situation worse. The ongoing strike of municipal employees for the past three days has added to the woes of the residents. Rajendra College campus and the road leading to the teachers’ quarters have been flooded leaving students and teachers to brave the knee-deep water to reach college.

According to sources, the main outlet of Khanwa Nala is choked at many places leading to a complete breakdown in the drainage system. This outlet carried the water from the town into river Saryu.

The drain been encroached upon as well. Markets as well as private buildings have come up on the drain. Sources added that the drains have not been desilted.

Former ward commissioner Madan Singh said: “The owners of recently constructed houses at Dahiyawan Tola Mohalla have encroached upon more than 20ft of Khanwa Nala and erected boundaries, thereby choking the outlet.” Sources said when Udit Rai was the former state minister of the urban development department from 1997 to 2005, he had got the Khanwa Nala cleared. He had made it a point to clear the drain regularly.

The historic Khanwa Nala, about 8km long, zigzagging through the township area upto the bank of Saryu was constructed by Todarmal and it was used for flood control and drainage of water. It was used for irrigation purposes also. Even the road leading to the main branch of State Bank of India has been flooded making it unapproachable for customers. Senapati Singh, a bank customer, said: “I had a harrowing time coming to this branch from Dahiyawan Tola through the waterlogged road. But I could not draw money because the employees were absent.”