Schoolboys wade through an inundated street at Kathagada Sahi in Cuttack on Monday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Aug 29: Water woes flooded the lives of Cuttack residents as intermittent rain lashed the Millennium City over the past 48 hours. The downpour left many areas waterlogged and overflowing drains made life rather difficult for commuters.

Several areas including Pithapur, Kathagada Sahi, Bangali Sahi, Badambadi, Balu Bazaar, Gangamandir, Kanika Chhak and some parts of Mahanadi Vihar were inundated as rain and drain water flowed on to the road, leaving commuters wading gingerly through the dirty streets.

The weekend brought into sharp focus the misery of going back to work on Monday, wading through streets flooded with dirty water that ominously hid craters below.

“After the weekend, we had to go to work. But rain, waterlogging and streets full of craters made life very difficult for us,” said Ashok Chaubey (44), a resident of Kathagada Sahi.

The shower also compounded miseries for residents of Nadikula Sahi at Sikharpur. Lack of proper drainage channels created problems for the release of excess rainwater from the locality that falls in ward No. 42 of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). It usually takes days together for the accumulated rainwater to subside.

“It’s normal for us to face problems during the rainy season as drains overflow and wastewater enter our homes. We face a lot of inconvenience,” said Sanghamitra Das (37), a homemaker.

Das said that Nadikula Sahi was located at a much lower level compared to the Mahanadi river embankment, which is a few meters away. There is a problem with passage of water because of the slope. Around 17 families are trapped in their homes for days after the rain here as the existing drainage channel has become obsolete. This time, too, the families are in a mess.

“We are living in most unhygienic conditions. It becomes tough for many of us to do daily chores because of waterlogging. So far the civic authorities haven’t taken any action,” said Basant Raul (37), a local resident.

The residents said that waterlogging had assumed serious proportions at Nadikula Sahi over the past three years. Earlier, wastewater from the locality used to be released into several vacant areas nearby. As a number of residential colonies and apartments had come up in nearby Mahanadi Vihar, wastewater generated from the locality did not find an escape route.

Though a pump is taking out excess wastewater and rainwater, it is not adequate for three colonies including Mahanadi Vihar.

Admitting that waterlogging was a perennial problem, Mayor Saumendra Ghosh said the situation had improved as water subsided within a few hours after the shower.