Puri: Extensive water-logging has made life hell for at least 650 families of Maa Tarini, Reddika Sahi, Dhobakhala and Bijaynagar slums near Penthakata in the city here.
In the absence of any help from the district administration, most of the affected families are now living under makeshift huts alongside the road.
According to the slum dwellers, the locality usually witnesses severe water-logging even after a spell of light to medium rain in the Holy City.
The slum dwellers claimed that rainwater from the localities like Baliguali, Samagara and Gopalpur flows into the slums located near Penthakata.
“Earlier, the rainwater from Baliguali, Samagara and Gopalpur area used to flow into the Nuanai near Balukhand sanctuary. However, the natural water passage to Nuanai has been blocked. As a result, several slums near Penthakata has been witnessing extensive water-logging for last couple of years,” said Rajesh Kumar Nanda, a local.
According to Nanda, several families of Maa Tarini, Dhobakhala and other slums reside in shanties alongside a road to a nearby industrial training institute. “Most of the houses in these slums are submerged in rainwater.
Residents are being forced to wade through waist-deep water to reach outside. We are facing a flood-like situation here. The situation is so alarming that people are facing problems to cook food,” Nanda said.
Locals, meanwhile, claimed that they have approached the district administration to solve the water-logging issue.
“We have raised the issue with the district Collector. He has assured us that he would take necessary action. We will be forced to launch an agitation if the administration does not take prompt steps to address the water-logging issue,” Nanda added.
