The New Indian Express 19.01.2010
Take immediate steps, High Court tells CMC
CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court today directed the Cuttack Municipal Corporation to take immediate steps to solve the drain water clogging problem in the Shatabdi Vihar area near Tulasipur by devising alternative passages.
The division bench of Justices AS Naidu and BN Mohapatra ordered that the civic authorities could take steps for acquiring land from the private owners in the area in consonance with the Land Acquisition Act and carry out the work as expeditiously as possible within one month.
The directions came in response to a writ petition filed by the Shatabdi Vihar Nagarik Committee which included residents of the locality along with Jyoti Vihar, Mahtab Nagar, Tarini Vihar and Chahata Nagar.
The petitioners sought a direction to the CMC to make arrangements for free flow of rain and waste water.
Without proper drainage channels and the existing ones obstructed due to constructions all around, water had accumulated dangerously causing unhygienic conditions and leading to disease outbreaks.
They stated that the people residing in the area were entitled to basic amenities as their right and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation should devise alternative ways to ensure proper discharge of water.
