Bhubaneswar: Damage to drainage channels during the laying of underground cables at Janpath has sparked fears of waterlogging among residents of Janpath.

The parallel storm water drain on the stretch takes the entire load during heavy rain.

Sources said the contractor dug 6ft-deep pits on both sides of the road, using heavy earthmovers. During this process, the adjacent storm water drain was damaged.

Heavy rain since Friday has since filled the pits with sludge and rainwater, having failed to find an outlet to the nearest drainage channel owing to the damage to the storm water drain. There are now fears that the pits will soon overflow and create flood-like situations.

"They should have covered the pits or put enough barricade so that the rainwater or the sludge didn't fill those. Flood-like conditions are very likely at such a situation," said Piyush Nanda, an urban planner.

Besides, the barricades put up to bar commuters from coming near the pits are being washed away, raising question marks over road safety. Traffic has also gone haywire as the pits have narrowed the roads.

"Congestion is rampant on this stretch, mainly during peak hours since Janpath is one of the major stretches. The barricades put to save people from falling in the pits are falling off and commuters could easily fall into it. It is very dangerous," said Vishesh Agrawal, a commuter on the stretch.

The authorities have taken up underground cable laying on Janpath between Master Canteen Square and Ram Mandir Square while work on the other part of the stretch between Sishu Bhavan Square and Ashok Nagar Square has been completed. However, the pits are still to be filled up properly.

The Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited and the Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha are jointly executing the project. "We have finished the work on most parts of the city. On Janpath, it is being hampered by the rain," said a Cesu official.