Residents wade through the waterlogged Housing Board Colony in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Aug. 3: Heavy downpour has once again exposed the poor drainage system with rainwater entering the houses and flowing over to the roads in several parts of the city.

Rainwater has entered the houses in Housing Board Colony, Cherupara, Danipali, Gopalmal, Modipara in the city. An official source said there was 38mm rainfall in the city in the past 24 hours.

“I visited ward nos. 8, 16, 17 and 26 with the tehsil staff members and the municipality engineer. Waterlogging was there in those wards. The drainage system of the city should be refurbished. However, executive officer of the Sambalpur Municipality has been instructed to take stock of the situation. We are ready to tackle any kind of situation,” said district emergency officer Nihar Ranjan Dash.

Balgopal Panigrahi, a resident of Cherupara, said: “The municipality launched a pre-monsoon sanitation drive and removed silt from some of the drains. But, several drains were left unattended during the drive.”

“And now, the choked drains have created this flood-like situation,” he said.

The situation in Housing Board Colony was also pathetic. “The situation is not new for the residents of Housing Board Colony. Every year during rains, the residents have to face this kind of problem. Because of encroachment along the drain, the water cannot get released and enters the houses here. The residents have complained several times about the problem, but the authorities are yet to respond. The authorities should take measures to evolve a permanent solution of the problem,” said Dilbag Singh, a local resident.

“A little rain plays havoc in the historical city. The municipality and the administration should think of resolving the problem permanently. The choked drains are the major reason behind the flood-like situation. The drainage system here should be revamped,” said Ananda Pradhan, another local resident. “The low-lying areas of the city are the worst affected in the heavy downpour,” he said.

“This is not a new thing for the city. This happens because of the negligence on part of the municipal authority. The drains are clogged and the civic authority has done a little to remove silt from the drains,” said another local resident Laxmidhar Mohapatra.