A scooterist braves through drain water near Bayababa Lane at Unit-IX in Bhubaneswar. Water gets accumulated there because of a sewer line leakage. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 18: Residents in the Bayababa Matt area are wading though knee-deep drain water thanks to a leaked sewerage point. The drain water has accumulated near at least 10 houses in the area.

The residents allege that despite approaching to the authorities nothing has been done so far. “We have conveyed our problem to the local councillor and mayor of the Bhubaneswar Municipality Corporation. We have also approached to the public health department, but they, too, have done nothing till date,” said Biswajit Samantray, a local resident.

The drain water, along with the rainwater, has turned the area into a mosquito-breeding zone. “At a time when authorities are carrying out dengue prevention campaigns, we are living in an area which is conducive for mosquito-breeding,” said Subha Patnaik, another resident.

However, the local councillor slammed the residents for not cooperating with the authorities. “These are low-lying areas which trigger the chances of water inundation. Earlier, we had released a work order to build a drainage near that area, but the residents did not lend a hand with us,” said Sk Nizamudin, councillor of ward No. 36.

Authorities of the public health department also criticised the residents of not helping them. “The residents must allow us to construct a drain, so that the sewerage water can be dispelled. But, they are not willing to leave an inch of land to construct the drain,” said Manoranjan Panda, executive engineer, PH division-II.

“When it rains, the water enters our houses. We are forced to walk through the dirty water,” said J.P. Singhdeo, another resident.

School-going children are the worst sufferers. “We are forced to wade through the unhygienic water which raises the chances of skin diseases,” said Ananya, a school student.

Sometime, the school-going children have to walk round the boundary walls of houses to avoid the filthy water. “The stinking water forces us to take the alternative road,” said Akshya, a school-going kid.