Overflowing drains at Mansingh Patana in Cuttack and (below) workers clean the clogged drain. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, May 27: Overflowing drains continue to create problems for residents of Mansingh Patana.

The problem had aggravated yesterday night when the main drain began overflowing and created a waterlogging situation in Kafla and Mansingh Patana areas.

“Due to the callous attitude of the civic authorities, a number of people in Kafla and Mansingh Patana are suffering. The entire area was inundated by drain water from 10pm yesterday and it took nearly 12 hours for the water to subside,” said Pradip Kumar Dalei (42), a local resident.

There is no proper drainage system in the area and local residents have to face acute waterlogging every monsoon, Dalei added.

On February 3, The Telegraph had published a report on the drainage problem and an open manhole in the locality. Though the manhole was subsequently sealed by a concrete slab, nothing was done to improve the drainage system.

Local residents said waste water from Kafla, Reba Bagicha and other localities was being discharged through the main drain that passes through Mansing Patana in ward No. 7 of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).

They had submitted a memorandum to the officials of CMC for the construction of an open drain to solve the drainage problems in the locality. According to them, the waste water was being discharged through a pipe which was not cleaned regularly.

“The civic authorities should initiate immediate steps to construct an open drain for the smooth passage of waste water from the locality,” said Jaganath Sahu (33), another resident of the area.

Local councillor Sumitra Sahoo admitted that the residents were facing problems due to bad drainage system in the locality. “There is a proposal to construct an open drain to connect the main drain of Mansingh Patana with Seikh Bazar. But as a part of the land is not owned by the CMC, it has led to a delay in the execution of the project,” said Sahoo.

Steps were immediately taken to unclog the drain after water started overflowing yesterday night, which subsequently led to the passage of sewage from the locality today. Things were likely to improve as the construction of the proposed open drain would begins soon, she added.