Sambalpur, June 19: The June 15 deadline that the municipal corporation had set to clean the city's drains has been breached despite the fact that monsoon has already arrived in the state.

The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation began cleaning the drains last month to provide smooth passage to rainwater during the monsoon. The civic body engaged 150 sanitation workers, dividing them up into four groups, to clean the city's 120km-long drainage network. However, drains in several areas are yet to be cleaned.

"The civic body had said the drainage network would be cleaned by June 15. However, despite the arrival of monsoon, it is yet to complete the work," said local resident Srimanta Mishra.

"Work on several drains that have been cleaned and de-silted, is still half-complete with garbage and silt being left behind. The municipal corporation has failed to learn from past experience. The condition of the drains is such that they are likely to cause a flood-like situation," he said.

"A little rain creates havoc in Sambalpur. Rainwater overflows the drains at several places during monsoon. People living in low-lying areas, such as Charbhati, Mandlia, Chandan Nagar, Binakhandi, Balibandha, Govindtola, Bahalpara of Sakhipara, Mayabagicha, Hirakud Colony, Housing Board Colony, Modipara and Kumbharpara, experience water-logging and flood-like situations because of clogged drains. The civic body should clean the drains at the earliest," said another local resident Manoj Singh.

City residents had experienced a flood-like situation caused by choked drains and heavy showers in 2014. Drain water and rainwater entered houses at several places . In 2011 too, there was a similar situation.

The deputy commissioner of the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation, Sudhansu Bhoi, however, said: "We missed the deadline as the cleaning work moved at a slow pace during Sital Sasthi. But the sanitation workers have been working overtime after the festival. The cleaning work is almost complete now. The drains in only three wards are yet to be cleaned. The work will be completed within a week."