Drain water blocks the gateway to Buddheswari temple . Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, May 13: The path to the Buddheswari temple on Cuttack Road is not a ‘holy’ one. Before entering the shrine, devotees have to walk through sewage water that overflows onto the road from a nearby drain.

While local residents of Buddheswari Colony said the drain near the temple compound had not been cleaned for the last three years, many also pointed out that solid waste was being dumped near the shrine on the stretch between Kalpana and the Satyanagar flyover.

“Municipal workers pull out waste from the drain only to dump it on the road. Within a few days, the waste flows back into the drain and clogs it,” said a shopowner near the temple.

Local councillor Sailabala Pradhan said: “Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation authorities are cleaning the drain, but desilting work should have been done by National Highway (NH), Orissa. The road has already been converted into NH-203 so the authorities concerned are responsible for the mess.’’

However, she admitted that though the main drain belongs to NH, Orissa, it is being fed with wastewater from nearby areas. “In fact, the drains are storm water drains build to carry rainwater. But residents living in upstream areas and business establishments are letting their sewage water into the main drain. This is polluting the entire environment. Stench from the overflowing drain near Buddheswari Temple affects NH-203 that runs to Puri,’’ she added.

Residents of the nearby colony alleged that civic authorities had been informed about the condition of the temple premises but steps were yet to be taken.

Deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra, however, said: “The Buddheswari temple is one of the important religious places that organise around 20 festive occasions in a year. Sanitation services around the temple will be ensured and officials will be asked to streamline them.’’

Historians too spoke of the temple’s importance. A historian said while Ekamra Kshetra was guarded by Khandagiri in the west, Baba Kandaleswar in the east and Dhabalagiri (Dhauli) in the south, Buddheswari guarded the northern side of the ancient city.