The land acquired by Cuttack Municipal Corporation in 2007 and (below) workers clear weeds and build the temporary water channel. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, June 24: Flood fear haunts residents of Mahanadi Vihar owing to a delay in the construction of a temporary drainage channel to flush out excess rainwater from the area.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) spends around Rs 3 lakh every year to set up a temporary water channel to transfer accumulated waste and rain water to the main storm water channel No. 2.

A temporary channel, nearly 500m long, is being set up using bamboo structures on both sides of the water channel at Mahanadi Vihar for easy passage of wastewater from the locality. Local residents said this arrangement had been going on for the past five years.

Excess water from Gandarpur and Sikharpur, apart from Mahanadi Vihar, is being released into the main storm water channel No. 2 near Kaibalya Vihar through this temporary channel.

However, no step is being taken to construct a permanent concrete drain on the land that had been acquired by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation in 2007.

“Every year, CMC officials build the temporary channel before the onset of the monsoon. But this time, there has been a delay and this may create acute waterlogging in the area,” said Chandra Sekhar Sahu, a local resident.

Mahanadi Vihar area was developed by the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) in 1990s. However, the area lacks proper drainage channels, for which many areas of Sikharpur and Mahanadi Vihar face acute waterlogging problems during the rains.

Local councillor Bijay Ketan Khandai said clearing the weeds to facilitate the construction of the temporary channel had begun. “The construction of the temporary water channel began a couple of days ago. The work was delayed because of the non-availability of labourers,” said Khandai.

Khandai said a permanent concrete drain connecting with the main drain will be constructed under the Japan International Cooperating Agency project that was likely to start by November.

However, many people believe that despite the construction of the temporary water channel, there will be acute waterlogging in case of heavy rain because no step has been taken to widen the culvert near the Nuabazar flyover.