Choked drain and (below) dumped garbage at Makarbag Sahi in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, April 10: Despite tall claims of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to improve living conditions of the people of this city, access to basic civic amenities still remains a distant dream for the most of the residents here.

Like many other localities, the residents of Makarbag Sahi also face a lot of difficulties owing to lack of initiatives on part of the civic authorities to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation.

“No measure has been taken for regular cleaning of roads and removal of waste from the area. Though we have brought such matters to the notice of concerned authorities, no step has so far been taken to maintain cleanliness here,” said Deepak Behera (31). “As a result, one can find piles of garbage dumped on roadsides, which creates an unhygienic environment here,” he added.

Apart from sanitation, poor roads and drains are other issues of concern for the residents of Makarbag Sahi that falls in ward No. 19 of the CMC. The ward has a population of over 10,000.

“Most of the drains are very narrow. Moreover, many such drains are on the verge of collapse because of lack of measures for their maintenance. As a result, the drains, that are connected to branch stormwater channels, are unable to discharge the wastewater generated from the locality,” said Sankarshan Sahoo (41), another local resident.

Local residents allege that the drains are also not cleaned regularly. As a result, most of the drains are now clogged. Similarly, many small culverts are also on the verge of collapse because of lack of measures for their repairs.

“There has been a rise in the mosquito population in the area because of the stagnant water in the choked drains. The civic authorities should ensure that the drains are cleaned at least twice a week,” said Santosh Moharana (27), another resident.

On the other hand, local councillor Chandan Kumar Jena informed that adequate steps are being taken to maintain sanitation in the ward.

“At present, 28 sanitary members of the staff, including sweepers, are engaged in cleaning the entire ward regularly. Similarly, adequate steps are being taken to improve living conditions in the locality,” said Jena.

According to him, a lot of developmental works, including construction and repairs of roads, have been done at Makarbag Sahi. Adequate dustbins have also been provided to the residents of different localities under the ward.

“However, things are likely to improve further after the introduction of mechanised sweeping in the city soon,” the councillor added.