Commuters and residents face problems due to desiltation works at Kesharpur and Bajrakabati Canal Road in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, May 30: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has launched a massive operation to desilt the main storm water channel –1. This channel carries most of the wastewater generated from the city during the monsoon.

But the annual desiltation work has put hundreds of commuters and local residents, particularly at Kesharpur and Bajrakabati Canal Road, in trouble.

The Kesharpur and Bajrakabati Canal Road, one of the busiest roads in the city, has turned into a hell for commuters with the cleared silt from the channel being dumped along the roadside.

“We have been facing problems for almost four days due to the desiltation work. All the filth has been dumped right in front of our house and as a result, it is difficult for us to even step out,” said S.K. Kabir, 71, a resident of Kesharpur.

According to Kabir, the annual desiltation operation was essential keeping in view the problems of waterlogging during the rains. But the civic authorities should carry out the entire desiltation process in a more planned manner so that the residents do not suffer.

“A large portion of the road is now covered with silt and it has not been removed even after four days. The overnight rain have also doubled the problems,” said Seikh Jamshed Ali (35), another local resident.

The main stormwater channel-1, that originates from Srivihar colony in Tulsipur, carries bulk of the waste water from the city to the Kathjodi river after being treated at Matagajpur.

Besides local residents, a large number of commuters, who depend on the Kesharpur and Bajrakabati Canal Road that acts as connecting link between a number of places, are also facing problems due to the desiltation programme.

“There is utter chaos on the Kesharpur Canal Road as it is blocked with silt and as result I had to return and reach my destination via another way,” said a commuter.

The CMC gears up to desilt the entire drainage system of the city before the onset of monsoon keeping in view the waterlogging problems in many parts in the city.

The corporation spends around Rs 1.5 lakh to desilt the entire system that consists of two main stormwater channels and other surface drains in the city.

Officials have admitted that the residents do face problems during the desiltation programme but at the same time, it was necessary to complete the process before the rains began.

“Desilting of the main stormwater channel usually takes longer than the desiltation operations in other surface drains because of its length. The silt was expected to be removed from the road yesterday but it could not be done due to the rain,” said CMC executive engineer Umakant Gadanayak.

Gadanayak said the annual desiltation operation was likely to be completed by the first week of June and steps would be initiated to remove silt from the road within a couple of days after the excavated deposit dries.