CUTTACK: Taking a cue from its counterpart Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), now the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has also decided to remove encroachments on the drains to check the problem of waterlogging in the city.On July 21, when Cuttack received 211 mm of rain, the entire Millennium city was left flooded. Officials said the waterlogging problem compounded as due to blocked drains the rain water could not flow freely into the drains. To flush out rain water, the CMC had to use over 200 high power motor pumps.Learning lesson from the bitter experience, the CMC has decided to remove all kinds of encroachments on the drains in the city. A meeting was convened on Wednesday to discuss the problem under the chairmanship of CMC commissioner Bikash Mohapatra The CMC commissioner has directed the concerned officials to carry out a survey as which major and minor drains have been encroached across the city. After completion of the survey work, drive will be launched to clear the encroachments.“It has been noticed that many people have opened shops on the slabs used to cover the drains. Besides, in some areas slum dwellers have also erected their shanties on the major storm water drains. This causes problem in cleaning and desilting the drains and even leads to serious blockages,” said chairman of CMC’s standing committee on health and sanitation, Ranjan Biswal. “The blocked drains obstruct flow of rain water which leads to water logging situation,” added Biswal.On a priority basis, encroachments from the main storm water channel drains will be removed. The CMC has plans to start its eviction drive from next week. Sources said in first phase encroachments from the drains passing through the Collector’s residence, Kanika Chakk that flows through Malgodown will be removed.“It is a major drains and we need to clear it on a priority basis. Later on encroachments from the small drains will be removed,” said Biswal. It is important to mention that during the July 21 rains, the residential office of the collector located at Kanika Chhak was submerged in knee deep water.CMC have plans to remove all the encroachments within two months.

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