People cross the broken embankment of Bijipur pond at Gandhi Nagar in Berhampur. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, March 6: A breach in the embankment of Bijipur pond here flooded low-lying areas of Gandhi Nagar, including Spectrum Colony 5th Line Extension and Sana Bauri Sahi yesterday.

“Water gushed out of the Bijipur tank suddenly through a weak embankment that caused the breach at about 7.30pm yesterday. We immediately rushed to the spot with to plug the breach with sand, but in vain. High water current washed sand bags. It stopped only after we put some tree logs that were lying in the area since the Phailin attack. But by then, huge water already got discharged from the tank and it inundated the low-lying areas of Gandhi Nagar,” said Sanghamitra Dalai, councillor of ward No. 24 of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.

General manager of Southco electric supply company Biranchi Narayan Mallick, who resides at 5th Line Extension of Spectrum Colony, said: “Our locality was suddenly flooded with two feet-deep water around 8 pm. We were scared.”

Sudhanshu Sekhar, who works in a pharmaceutical company, said that he could return home around 8.30pm with much difficulty.

“I kept my bike at my friend’s house and walked on the inundated road up to my house as the water was flowing in very high speed,” he said.

“The floodwater has washed completely away the kutchha road, which we built after Phailin by collecting contributions from the local residents. As we are living in a low-lying area and that, too, near Bijipur tank, the municipal corporation should take steps to construct concrete roads and proper drains to discharge water from the locality for a permanent solution,” said Sekhar.

Asim Mishra, executive engineer of the municipal corporation, said the Bijipur tank would be renovated within six months. “A sum of Rs 46 lakh has been sanctioned to give stone-packing to its all four embankments,” he said.