Bhubaneswar: Residents of Nandan Vihar in Kalarahanga panchayat on Sunday organised a human chain to protest against the development authority's "apathetic attitude" towards development in the area.

Local resident Prahalad Das said: "As the Bhuban-eswar Development Authority has failed to develop a proper drainage system in the area, it always gets waterlogged even after a brief spell of rain. Even today, people are unable to come out of the area. Rainwater enters into our homes, making life miserable for us."

He said: "We have already brought it to the notice of the chief secretary and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, but no steps have been taken for the development of area. The apartments coming up in the area continue to release their waste water onto the road. We are almost marooned."

The residents are also aggrieved by the development authority's decision to give permission to a number of builders to construct apartments by violating all procedures. "Before constructing the apartments, builders should have developed basic amenities such as roads and proper drainage systems, install street lights. Now, all the roads at Nandan Vihar is covered with giant potholes," the residents alleged.

They also said: "The authorities grant permission to construct various apartment buildings without considering their impact on the environment. Not only the local residents, but students from the area also face a lot of problem while going to schools or colleges as school vans are not ready to enter into the area to pick them up."

Nandan Kanan Vihar Bikash Parishad general secretary Debasis Mohapatra said: "The drainage problem can be sorted out if the existing drain is connected to Budhi Nala. Now, we have a lack of a proper drainage channel."

Nearly 15,000 people reside in the area, which is a part of New Bhubaneswar. Nearly 23 apartments and numerous duplex houses have already come up in the area, while many more constructions are going on.

The residents also demanded a police outpost in the area. "Law and order is a concern. Taking advantage of the darkness because of a lack of street lights, criminals roam freely and create problems for people. If the police set up an outpost here, the issue can be addressed," said a local resident.