Hopping from one puddle of mud to another during the monsoon is a way of life for all of us in the Unit-IX Bayababa Matha Lane. One heavy downpour and knee-deep water accumulates in the area, making it difficult to not only ride a two-wheeler but also a car through this lane.

This is Bhubaneswar for me, the capital city of Odisha and my hometown.

The development of the city in the last two decades from a quiet locale to a buzzing and happening place makes me smile every time I think about it.

From shopping malls to educational institutions, many changes in my city make me proud. But, despite witnessing several impressive moves by our authorities such as beautification drives, coming up of flyovers, a proper city bus service and other amenities to develop the civic infrastructure, the worsening conditions of roads affects the peace of life day in and day out. The situation becomes grave during the monsoon.

Every time it rains, my locality is full of drain water because of the lack of a proper drainage system. The deep craters that remain invisible under the stagnant water during the rains outside the houses and apartments here restrict the entry of vehicles into our lane leading to a chaotic parking situation here.

For the past 10 years, both my family and my neighbours dread the advent of the rains. As a kid, I remember playing in the parking space of our apartment only during summer. Monsoon meant missing classes and staying at home even then. The condition was no different in many other areas of the city. It still isn’t.

A couple of years ago, after repeated requests, the municipality officials surveyed the waterlogging situation in our locality. Till date however, nothing has changed for us.

It would perhaps be unfair to say that nothing is being done to improve the situation in the city since we see repairs and construction on the road going on throughout the year. But I wish there was a permanent solution. Sadly, the repairs do not last even one season.

The residential area of the affluent in the city, Saheed Nagar, is probably the most infamous for its bad roads. Here, puddles transform into streams of mud and the uneven surface has been the cause for many a mishaps and minor accidents. Though the bungalows in the area tell the tale of grandeur, the almost kachha roads give you a rural feel. Walking as well as motorcycling can be extremely dangerous here owing to the slippery streets.

Cuttack Road, that connects the city to Puri, is often full of stray cattle despite being a national highway. And if you dread the chaos of traffic at Kalpana Square, taking a left from Ravi Talkies Square ends that phase. But an even more dreadful session awaits the commuters at the Tankapani Road, well known for the adventure it offers.

The road, or shall I say the path starving for gravel, which takes us to some of the best heritage and tourist sites such as the magnificent Rajarani temple, is a bumpy and patchy ride full of potholes. Under-construction sites pop up from nowhere right in the middle of the road. To make us feel even more ashamed in front of tourists is a slimy muddy trail just outside the Rajarani temple gate.

If ever I want to go on a peaceful drive in the city, I choose the stretch from Airport Square to the Capital Hospital Square. The smooth roads and beautifully maintained roadsides, decorated with artistic sculptures make me to wish my locality too had roads such as this. I often get tempted to continue this journey on the city’s silk route that starts again from Jayadev Vihar and continues till Magnetic Square.

But I take a right at the traffic stop before Kalinga Stadium to return home. Alas, the bumpy ride is back before I reach Nicco Park and continues till I reach home.

I wonder if my planned city could ever match the planning that I see during my shooting trips to Chandigarh or Navi Mumbai or Vizag — their wide and smooth roads and the beautiful environment. I wish I could take a walk to breathe fresh air and not the stench that lingers all year through in my locality.

I do not know when the government authorities will relieve us of these painful rides and when the apartment builders, who sell flats advertising their connectivity to main roads, but do not take any steps to ensure they are also safe and well-maintained, will transform. But I am sure Bhubaneswar cannot manage with face wash and cosmetics for its roads any more. To succeed in its chase of the fashionable tag of a metro, my city needs cosmetic surgery.

I hope the right surgeons are listening.