Bhubaneswar, Aug. 17: Debasis Acharya was taking a stroll round his apartment block around 7 this morning when he suddenly saw water gushing into the complex.

Acharya, a deed writer and security chairman of Kedargouri Apartments near Garage Chhak on the Cuttack-Puri Road, said: "In no time our apartment complex was filled with around two feet of water. I immediately rang up the councillor of ward No. 58, Puspa Das. Her personal assistant answered the phone and assured me of action. However, when I called up again, none responded. I also called police for help."

The water forced its way into the apartment complex after a part of the embankment of Daya West Canal gave way. Acharya said he had seen a crack in the boundary wall of the canal on August 15.

With the corporation slow to respond, the residents of the complex were marooned for more than an hour and a half. Finally, with help of fire brigade personnel, officials of the corporation blocked the breach. "The canal water is being diverted and efforts are on to drain out the water inside the complex," said a Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation official. Ramesh Chandra Acharya, 75, a retired judge, said he, too, had called the councillor and later the police. "However, I got no response. I then called up mayor Ananta Narayan Jena and culture and tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda. It was only after 8am that pumps were deployed to drain out the accumulated water," he said.

Manoranjan Mishra, 47, a revenue inspector, who lives on the ground floor of the apartment, woke up this morning to find water entering his flat. "I was shocked. The water was almost two feet deep and it took two hours for the level to drop," he said. Mishra said some electrical appliances at his residence had been damaged.

"We pay holding tax on time. But, this is the true picture of the 'smart city' that officials and minister keeps bragging about," he added.

Ranjan Kumar Sahoo, 43, an LIC employee, accused the corporation of being totally indifferent towards those living in the area. "A contractor was awarded the work to construct the boundary wall of the canal after rain posed a threat. However, no verification of their work experience had been done," Sahoo alleged.

Sahoo said the pain of the residents did not end here. "Dirty water has seeped into the bore well that is used to ensure water supply to the flats. The water pump has been damaged," he said.

The apartment complex has 200 flats and those on the ground floor were the worst affected. Sahoo said 47 flats on the ground floor had been affected by the waterlogging. "The parking lot was filled with water in the early morning, making it very difficult for those who had to go to office," he said.

Councillor Puspa Das said on getting information she rushed to the spot immediately to address the woes of the residents. "I rushed to the spot immediately and ensured that work to control the flow of water into the complex was checked with the help of sand bags," she said.

Rajesh Kumar Malia, the contractor carrying out the canal embankment repair work, said the breach in the wall occurred due to excess flow and accumulation of water on the culvert. "Since the water did not flow through the culvert smoothly, high pressure had breached the canal wall."

Minister Ashok Chandra Panda said the construction of the boundary wall was sub-standard. He said action would be taken against the contractor if he was found guilty as the residents had alleged. Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, who was supervising the relief work at the complex, said the apartment would be provided clean water and the bore well treated with chemicals and bleaching powder.