Cuttack city during rain in August 2007. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, July 14: Residents of the Millennium City can brace for a monsoon without waterlogging this year. Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) officials claim that they are better prepared to deal with waterlogging issues this year than previous years.

When the rainfall in Cuttack city was as high as 330mm between 8.30pm on August 4 and 8am on August 5, 2007, breaking the previous record of 320mm in a single day way back in 1933, the total rainwater inflow into the main storm water channels was around 39 lakh cusecs.

With a main storm water channel outflow capacity of just 75,000 cusecs per hour, an estimated 77 hours was required to drain the rainwater out. Consequently, more than two lakh people were trapped in their homes and over a lakh rendered homeless for nearly three days due to inundation of their homes.

“It was acknowledged as an abnormal situation. Things, however, are not the same now. Widening and deepening of tertiary drains, relocation, reconstruction and renovation of culverts on branch drains had resolved waterlogging problem in several parts of the city to a large extent,” claim engineers of Cuttack Municipal Corporation.

“Waterlogging conditions following rain is still not a thing of the past here. But these days, rainwater is drained out within an hour. We, however, are yet to see the fallout of incessant heavy rain after the work on the drains,” said Durga Shankar Pattanaik, 78, of Rajabagicha colony.

An approximately eight-km long open channel forms the spine of the city’s surface water drainage system, the branches of which extend to older parts of the city. The main drainage channel No. 1 discharges water into the system. During heavy rainfall, checking inundation from the main drain is only possible by timely diversion of its flow into Taladanda canal. This apart, there is another main drain — the main drain No. 2 — in the eastern part of the city, inundation from which can only be prevented by timely diversion of its flow into the Kathajodi river.

All four gates of the main stormwater channels at Khannagar, Matagajpur, Gulgali, and Jobra are kept open for faster release of water in case of heavy rain. Besides, silt loads are removed from almost all the major surface water channels before the monsoon to maintain full outflow capacity.

CMC executive engineer Ashok Parida said the process of excavation of silt load from the main and branch stormwater channels had been completed. “We are also following up with steps to check and clean the stretches of main drains and branch drains where silt loads are reappearing after excavation,” Parida said.

The drainage system across the city does not have the required slope of 0-1ft in every 50ft. This results in a faster process of siltation than clearance by normal flow of water through the drainage system. Besides, indiscriminate disposal of solid waste by the people has been another impediment to having free flow of water in these channels.

“Reconstruction of an open drain here two months ago has mainly addressed the problem of overflowing sewage for most part of the year. Rainwater is also drained out within an hour’s time. But we can’t say what will follow in case of a continuous heavy rain,” said Debabrata Sethi, 28, a resident of Mansingh Patna. The main drain forms a link between Kafla Bazar and Mahantypara areas with the branch drain at Sheikh Bazar.

CMC secretary Ashutosh Samal said around 140 pumps were ready for being used for draining stormwater to check possible waterlogging conditions and inundation by overflowing drains following heavy rainfall.

“If required, these high power diesel pumps will be pressed into service in all low-lying areas of the city,” Samal said. “Besides, ten squads, with one junior engineer in each, have been assigned to monitor the situation round the clock in all the 54 wards,” he added.

Official sources said areas which are being kept under close watch for waterlogging conditions include Bidyadharpur, Kanheipur, Nuabazar, Mahanadi Vihar, Press Colony, Jobra, Sikharpur, Roxy Lane, Badambadi, Rajabagicha Colony, Mansingh Patna, Kazi Bazar, Ganga Mandir, Binodbihari, Oriya Bazar, Sutahat, Meria Bazar, Rousapatna, Gahmandia, Kesharpur Tulasipur, and Police Colony.