Cuttack: Locals protest against overflowing drain

CUTTACK: Tension prevailed in Chandni Chowk on Monday after local residents staged protest against Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for its failure in check an overflowing drain in the locality.
Angry residents also detained a sanitary inspector of CMC, S Mallick, who had come to review the situation, for two long hours. After getting information about the incident, a team of police rushed to the spot, pacified the agitators and rescued the CMC official.
The locals have alleged that since last one month the overflowing drain in the locality has made their life miserable. And on Tuesday the immersion ceremony of Basanti Durga will be held, still the CMC authorities have not taken any measures to check the overflowing drains.
“Despite repeated appeals, the CMC authorities have been doing nothing to improve the situation. We were forced to resort to agitation and detain the CMC official as if the drain continues to overflow, then we will have to carry procession of the Goddess amid this dirty water,” said Bijay Behera, secretary of Chandni Chowk puja committee.
The citizens have alleged that overflowing drain has water-logged the locality. The situation has turned so precarious as CMC have not desilted the drain properly.
Not only commuters are facing a harrowing time, even the residents and shopkeepers are suffering due to the filth and stench emanating from the overflowing drain.
“Due to lackadaisical approach and negligence of CMC, in summer season our locality is facing water-logging problem. The entire area stinks and has turned hell. Our children are falling ill due to the unhygienic ambience but the CMC has turned deaf ear to towards our problem,” alleged S Sahoo, an agitator.
Looking at the tense situation in the area, CMC’s senior officials rushed to the spot and had discussions with the agitators. Only after getting assurance from the CMC officials, people called off their agitation.The CMC authorities have promised us to clear and desilt the drains.
“We have immediately flushed out drain water from the locality to ensure that immersion ceremony of the deity is carried in smooth manner. Besides, the engineering section has been directed to immediately desilt the drains,” said health officer of CMC, Sarat Chandra Dash.