Bhubaneswar, June 14: The state government's mid-June deadline to complete desilting of drains to avoid waterlogging in the city ends tomorrow, but the municipal corporation's job is far from over.

Drainage channels and tertiary drains are desilted to avert urban flooding when it rains, but half-hearted job of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has added to the woes of commuters. Not only in matters of silt removal, but the corporation's lackadaisical attitude in removing encroachments on drainage networks is also a major hurdle in ensuring a flood-free monsoon.

To avoid waterlogging or urban flood-like situation in the city during monsoon, the state government on May 24 had issued a rigorous action plan and asked the civic body to follow it in letter and spirit. According to the plan, the government had asked the civic body to take up desilting of primary and tertiary drains on priority basis and end the job by mid-June.

But The Telegraph has found that the civic body has fallen far short of the state government's mandate. The drains at Bomikhal, Lakshmi Sagar, Rasulgarh and Old Town continue to block the flow of wastewater and one cannot rule out urban flooding during the monsoon.

"We began the work to desilt drains in May and are now in the final stage. Our priority was to clean the 10 natural drainage channels. Once that was achieved, we began cleaning the secondary drains. Most of the job is over, and if anything is yet to be done, we will look into it," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The mayor's version, however, does not match the situation on the ground. While natural drainage channel No. 6, which passes through Bomikhal and Lakshmi Sagar, requires desilting, tertiary drains Rasulgarh and Old Town need similar treatment.

Moreover, the civic body had also been asked to inspect all the drains and manholes for repair. "During heavy rain, roads often go under water. It becomes a tough task for pedestrians to spot the open manholes. As a result, people often fall into such pits," said an official of housing and urban development department.

To avoid any such fatality during monsoon, the department had directed the civic body to inspect and identify places where such incidents could occur. While it was asked to immediately cover the manholes, the civic body was also told to put signage at these spots to alert pedestrians.

While carrying out its survey, The Telegraph found several manholes lying uncovered at Nayapalli and Lakshmi Sagar.

"During the recent rain, many open manholes went under water. Anyone could have fallen into them. It is time the civic body took steps to clean the drains and cover the pits to avoid fatalities," said Lakshmi Sagar resident Dinabandhu Sahu.

A civic body official said the drainage division was taking care of the manholes. He claimed that open manholes at Nayapalli had been covered, while those in other areas would be repaired shortly.

"Last month, a worker had died when he fell into an open manhole. The death unnerved workers who were reluctant to continue the job. We will resolve the issue shortly," said a drainage division official.

The corporation is also lagging behind in its job of removing encroachments from these channels. The government had ordered removal of encroachments on drains that obstruct the free flow of storm water, rainwater or wastewater.

On this count, the corporation has failed in a big way. Not only did the corporation fail to remove encroachments, it also could not stop squatters from mushrooming on drains at various parts of the city. "Our drainage division officials will take up drives to identify the encroachments. They will provide the list and a special squad will take up the eviction. Some of the natural drainage channels are being encroached upon by slum dwellers, who need to be evicted to ensure smooth flow of water," said a civic body official.

The drainage division of the civic body had been told to identify encroachments. Sources said vendors doing business on covered drains were evicted, but the civic body had a tough time demolishing bigger structures such as concrete houses encroaching upon the drains. "The special squad is slowly but steadily clearing drains of encroachments," the mayor said.

In addition to the drain job, the corporation had been asked to identify flood spots and ensure special provision for people living in the low-lying areas. According to the plan, the civic body should put a relief team on stand-by to tackle any emergency situation during monsoon. The team will work to evacuate people from waterlogged areas and shift them to safer places in case of an emergency.

Though a lot remains to be done before the deadlines expires, the action of the corporation has built confidence among citizens.

"The situation is evidently getting better everyday. There was a time when we had waterlogging in our area. Slush and rainwater used to enter our houses and we would remain waterlogged for days. Now as the drainage channels are getting cleared before rains, the situation is getting better. I hope that the same will continue even this monsoon," said Acharya Vihar resident Binapani Dash.