Flood-like situation grips parts of Acharya Vihar after incessant rain in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 20: Parts of Acharya Vihar reeled from a flood-like situation when the natural drainage channel No. 4 started overflowing with several streets getting inundated.

While in many houses the floodwater entered the ground floor and basement, people were busy collecting their household items, which were drifting away with the gushing water. The sudden flood affected more than 50 houses.

With a cloudburst like situation in the afternoon between 4.30pm and 5pm, the woes of waterlogging began in Acharya Vihar once again with rainfall 25mm as the water cascaded down from Jayadev Vihar.

In September last year local residents rescued a man while he was being washed away while inside his car.

The natural drainage channel originated from Ekamra Kanan lake. At present, the sewerage water from the VIP Area, Nayapalli, N1, N2 and N3 is also adding to its flow.

Pinaki Mohanty, an educationist and resident of Acharya Vihar said: “Though it is a low-lying area, there is a need of better planning for smooth discharge of water. However, encroachment of the channel perhaps creates the flood and it is partly a man-made one.’’

In fact, encroachment near the opening of the channel after it passes through National Highway (NH)-5 near Acharya Vihar causes the spilling of water to the nearby road. The blocking of the natural channel creates similar problem every year and a person was washed away along with the car during last September. A moped was also washed away.

Kuna Patra, a businessman of Jayadev Vihar added that there was no regular cleaning of channel on the Jayadev Vihar stretch. If the drainage channel is not properly cleaned, it creates waterlogging in Jayadev Vihar. So when the pressure increases, the water flows with high velocity towards the downstream Acharya Vihar,’’ he said.

Councillor of ward No. 20 Subhranshu Sekhar Patnaik admitted that there were several encroachments along the stretch of the channel inside Jayadev Vihar and houses under construction without the approval from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority.

Retired veterinary surgeon L. K. Mohanty of Jayadev Vihar, who is staying in the locality since 1998, said: “Solid wastes including discarded building materials are dumped as if the channel is a dumping yard.

“This has also caused massive siltation on the channel bed so when there is more water coming from upstream, the natural drainage channel causes waterlogging in Jayadev Vihar and flood-like situation in downstream Acharya Vihar.’’

Pradip Sagar Duria, executive engineer, drainage division, Cuttack said: “The renovation plan for the natural drainage channel No. 4 has already been taken up for which survey has already started. The wall will be renovated with reinforced cement concrete and the bed with laterite stones.’’