Bhubaneswar: An overflowing drain on the NH-5 near Fire Station Square has made life miserable for daily commuters and residents of the problem.

The drain near a two-wheeler showroom opposite Fire Station Square has chok-ed and wastewater has been flowing onto the road for the past three days.

Local residents alleged that the administration was not doing anything to repair the drain despite repeated requests.

"It is not the first time that the drain is overflowing on the highway. It has become a regular affair. We lodged several complaints with the civic authorities urging them to repair the drain, but without any result," said Prafulla Jena, a resident of Gaja Vihar.

The situation is getting worse with every passing day as continuous movement of vehicles on the sewage-logged highway is spreading the wastewater further to the surroundings. "The water smells filthy. I have no idea how people are living in the area," said Dibakara Maharatha, a daily commuter.

A similar situation occurred on Khandagiri Square last month when two parallel drains choked and overflowed onto the highway. Local residents were forced to hit the street and stage a road blockade to wake up the civic body to take action.

"This is summertime and this is just a trailer of what we are about to witness in the coming monsoon. The entire area submerges in water if it rains heavily and the administration seems not at all bothered to address the issue," said Nityananda Sarangi, a resident of Surya Nagar.

During monsoon, several parts of the NH-5 witness severe waterlogging due to poorly-dredged drains that overflow onto the street.

The works department had last year decided to construct parallel drains along the highway to check the problem. But all the plans as of now lie on pen and paper only.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena however assured of taking immediate action to repair the drain near Fire Station Square. "I will instruct our officials to take up the repair immediately. The parallel drains will also be constructed soon," he said.