Bhubaneswar: With the onset of the monsoon, a fresh wave of concern has gripped the state administration as cases of diarrhoea and cholera have started surfacing in various parts of Odisha. The state government has ramped up its efforts to ensure the safety of food and drinking water across urban and rural areas. Capital city Bhubaneswar is not immune to these challenges.

Despite its 'Smart City' status, Bhubaneswar continues to face serious civic issues. One of the primary concerns is the presence of drinking water pipelines inside drains across the city. Every day, residents are consuming water that flows through these pipelines, some of which are laid directly inside drains filled with waste and sewage. This situation has raised fears of waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and cholera among residents.

Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das has expressed deep concern over the matter. “Water pipelines running through drains are a serious risk for contamination,” she said, adding that any leakage in the pipeline could allow drain water to mix with drinking water, posing a direct threat to public health.

In line with the Smart City initiative, the state government had earlier launched the Smart Janpath Project to beautify and modernise the 5.8 km Janpath Road in Bhubaneswar. With a sanctioned budget of ₹106 crore, the project aimed to create better drainage, separate lanes for vehicles, cycles, and pedestrians, and also upgrade utilities like underground cabling, water supply, and sewerage. The project was seen as a pilot model, with plans to replicate it across the city if successful.

Similarly, the SURE (Smart Urban Road Execution) network project was introduced with a budget of ₹60 crore to expand roads, enhance aesthetics, and improve infrastructure from Behera Sahi to Kalinga Stadium. However, many of these initiatives now seem to have faltered in ensuring basic civic safety, with improper pipeline placement being cited as a glaring issue.

Mayor Das pointed out that in several places like Rasulgarh and Pokhariput, water pipelines are laid inside large drainage channels. If even one of these pipelines develops a leak, it could easily allow contaminated water to enter the city's drinking supply. Identifying such leaks in crowded and complex drainage systems remains difficult.

Public outcry is growing, with demands being raised from various quarters to immediately separate drinking water pipelines from drain channels.

“We have held discussions with the planning section, WATCO, and other departments to address this issue,” said Mayor Das.