A 35-year-old man who earned his daily bread by collecting plastic bottles from drains was swept away and went missing in an open drain in Bhubaneswar on Saturday afternoon, sparking outrage over the city’s poor drainage management during the ongoing monsoon.
Anil Singh, a resident of Patharabandha Basti in Vani Vihar, entered Drain No. 4 near the main gate of Utkal University around 1:30 pm to collect plastic bottles. His associate, Masang Tudu, who was nearby, watched in horror as Anil slipped in the fast-flowing, muddy water filled with waste and was carried away. Despite frantic efforts, no trace of him has been found so far.
Eyewitnesses said Anil had already collected a sack full of bottles in the morning. When the water level rose further due to continuous rain, he removed his slippers and went back into the drain for more. His foot slipped on the slippery waste inside, and the strong current pulled him under. “He used to collect plastic bottles from this drain every day. It was his only source of income. Because of the rain, the water had risen a lot. He didn’t realise how dangerous it had become,” said a local who witnessed the incident.
Sahid Nagar police, along with teams from the Fire Services, ODRAF, and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), launched a search operation immediately. However, the search was called off for the day as rescuers could not locate Anil. It will resume on Sunday.
Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das and BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana visited the spot and assessed the situation. There is growing fear that Anil’s body may be trapped under the accumulated waste inside the drain.
This is not the first such tragedy. At least three people have lost their lives in similar incidents in Bhubaneswar’s open drains in recent times. The incident has once again exposed the civic body’s failure to complete drain cleaning before the monsoon.
BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana himself admitted that only 80% of the drains have been cleaned so far, even though the first phase of major drain cleaning was supposed to be completed by June.
Speaking at the site, the Commissioner said temporary measures would now be taken as the cleaning work remained incomplete when the rains arrived.
The tragedy has triggered sharp questions about the efficiency of the BMC Drainage Department, the concerned engineer, and the agency responsible for cleaning. Locals and activists are demanding accountability for the repeated loss of lives due to open and uncleared drains in the state capital.
Anil Singh’s family and the residents of Patharabandha Basti are anxiously waiting for any news about him as the search continues.
