Heavy rain floods Cuttack again, traffic stalls as drainage fails

Cuttack: Hours of heavy rain brought Cuttack to a standstill on Saturday, with key roads and residential areas submerged due to severe waterlogging, once again exposing the city’s fragile drainage system and poor monsoon preparedness.Press Chowk, the underpass near the NH overbridge at Khannagar, Buxi Bazaar, Professor Pada, Friends Colony, Badambadi and Kesharpur were among the worst-hit areas, where roads remained inundated for hours. Vehicles broke down, commuters waded through knee-deep water and traffic came to a near-halt as rainwater accumulated with little signs of drainage.Residents alleged that despite repeated assurances and crores of rupees spent on desilting and flood mitigation, civic authorities have failed to prevent the annual ordeal.

“Every year, the CMC claims to have cleaned the drains before monsoon. Yet, a few hours of rain are enough to drown the city. This is nothing but administrative failure,” said Pradeep Sahoo of Press Chowk.The Khannagar NH underpass remained one of the worst-affected locations, with waterlogging reported up to hip-level, turning it into a virtual pool for the third consecutive day. Several cars, two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws were stranded after breaking down in the submerged underpass, forcing motorists to take long detours.

Despite being a recurring monsoon hotspot, the stretch remained inaccessible for hours, raising questions over the lack of a permanent drainage solution.“The Khannagar underpass has become a swimming pool for the third straight day. Every monsoon, vehicles get stranded here, yet the authorities have failed to find a permanent solution,” said Ranjit Sahoo of Khannagar. He added that installing pumps at a few locations was “an eyewash” unless the drainage system was permanently upgraded.In low-lying localities such as Sutahat and Patapole, residents were seen wading through knee-deep filthy water as rainwater entered houses and inundated neighbourhoods. Several families said they were unable to sleep as floodwater covered their floors, damaging belongings and creating unhygienic conditions.“Our houses are flooded with filthy water and we have been unable to sleep for days. Foul smell has made our lives miserable,” said Biswanath Biswal of Sutahat.

“People pay taxes for basic civic services. Instead, we are forced to walk through filthy water while officials remain missing from the ground.”CMC mayor Subhash Singh said the rainfall was exceptionally heavy, leading to temporary waterlogging at a few vulnerable locations. “Our teams are on the ground operating pumps, clearing blockages and monitoring the situation. We are working to ensure that water recedes at the earliest and are also planning long-term measures to improve the drainage network,” he said.