File picture of an autorickshaw on a waterlogged street at Kharavela Nagar

Bhubaneswar, June 3: Monsoon will arrive in the state next week, but certain areas of the city are already battling waterlogging woes after occasional showers. The blame has fallen on an inefficient drainage system.

A part of the Bhimatangi-Pokhariput road near the Lingaraj passenger halt has been waterlogged for the past three days. A busy marketplace near Bapuji Nagar opposite the Rajmahal flyover has the same problem. The victims are commuters and shoppers.

Mrutyunjay Tripathy, a resident of Soubhagya Nagar, who frequents Bapuji Nagar market, said: “This is a prominent market and this waterlogging is affecting shop owners, as customers are reluctant to come here. Also, what a horrible sight it is near the newly-built Rajmahal flyover!”

Councillor of ward No. 58 Chhabindra Jena, who represents Bhimatangi Housing Board Colony and Baunsakhani areas of Old Town, said: “The road was completed nearly four years ago, but for more than the past three years a weak drainage system has been causing waterlogging, and a little pothole and now turned into a pool.”

Last year, after a hullabaloo, the authorities of the public works department (PWD) made stopgap arrangements by using a dry mix of concrete. But this did not survive the monsoon. This year, the “pool” has caused more problems for commuters, especially two-wheeler riders.

The authorities of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation are yet to start pre-monsoon work to repair roads. While major roads in the city are maintained by the PWD, the corporation looks after internal roads and space near markets.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said: “The municipal council has already passed a resolution to take up a drain-desilt work worth Rs 1.10 crore. It will be completed before the arrival of the monsoon. The repair and linking of waterlogging spots to nearby drains will also be taken up.”

Last year, the PWD authorities, in association with the corporation and Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police, had adopted a formula to link the waterlogged spots with nearby drains by building small water channels with pipes. Waterlogged areas in many places on the Airport-Nandankanan road were improved this way through these “water traps”.

However, after the occasional rain during the past three days, many stretches on the Khandagiri-Pokhariput road were waterlogged as the water traps have been blocked by sand and debris, which needs to be cleaned.

“The PWD authorities and corporation should carry out a joint exercise to identify such problem areas across the city so that residents are not troubled by waterlogged streets when monsoon strikes,” said Pitambar Parida, a resident of Pokhariput.

Outgoing PWD executive engineer of division II Ranjit Sahoo said: “The problem on the Bhimatangi-Pokhariput road near the Lingaraj passenger halt will be addressed soon by building a drain. The construction was getting delayed because of a land issue.”

A senior corporation engineer said: “The waterlogging problem in the city has improved this year. We hope that things will improve before the monsoon.”