Irony dominated proceedings at the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Monday as rainwater seeped through the roof of the civic headquarters during a special general body meeting convened to discuss monsoon preparedness, waterlogging and sanitation.

The meeting, called amid ongoing monsoon rains, focused on urban flooding, drain cleaning, road repairs and civic services. However, water leaking inside the assembly hall became the centre of attention, prompting sharp criticism from opposition councillors over the corporation’s preparedness.

The controversy gained further significance as the corporation has earmarked nearly ₹3,000 crore in its 2026-27 budget, a substantial increase from the previous year's allocation of around ₹2,000 crore, for civic works including drain cleaning and infrastructure maintenance.

Leader of Opposition Akash Tiwari arrived at the meeting wearing a life jacket fashioned from newspaper clippings, calling it a symbolic protest against what he described as the failure of the "triple-engine government." He alleged that despite increased spending, residents continue to face severe waterlogging and poor civic infrastructure during the monsoon.

The session also witnessed heated exchanges between elected representatives and officials. BJP councillor Swapnil Mishra accused zone officials of failing to discharge their responsibilities, referring to them as "thieves." The remark drew an immediate objection from the presiding chairperson, who acknowledged the councillor's concerns but advised him to use appropriate parliamentary language.

Outside the municipal headquarters, contractors staged a protest alleging delays in payment of dues. Raising slogans against the civic administration, they demanded immediate clearance of pending bills and criticised the functioning of the municipal authorities.

During the meeting, Mayor Meenal Choubey said the special session had been convened to address public grievances rather than engage in political confrontation. She expressed dissatisfaction with officials, saying councillors were repeatedly facing complaints from residents due to delays in resolving civic issues.

The Mayor attributed many instances of urban flooding to rapid concretisation and unplanned urban development. She urged the Town and Country Planning department to strictly enforce building norms while approving layouts. She also pointed out that roads constructed by multiple government agencies have contributed to drainage bottlenecks at several locations.

Responding to criticism over the leaking roof inside the municipal headquarters, the Mayor said the problem surfaced due to sudden heavy rainfall and assured that necessary repairs would be undertaken at the earliest. During the meeting, flower pots were placed beneath leaking sections of the roof to collect dripping water.

Several councillors highlighted additional civic concerns. BJP councillor Ramesh Sapha raised the issue of garbage collection being affected due to an alleged shortage of diesel for waste collection vehicles. Councillor Bhagat Lal Dhruv claimed that despite submitting 14 applications over the past eight months, officials had failed to act against encroachments in his ward. Councillor Rajesh Devangan also raised concerns regarding encroachment management.

The opposition also questioned the necessity of convening a special general body meeting for issues such as sanitation and waterlogging, arguing that these fall within the corporation's routine responsibilities. Former Mayor and Congress leader Pramod Dubey said special meetings are generally reserved for policy decisions or emergency situations and suggested that holding one for routine civic matters reflected shortcomings in administrative planning.

The discussions come as Raipur, like several parts of Chhattisgarh, continues to witness heavy monsoon showers, with civic authorities under increasing pressure to improve drainage, sanitation and urban infrastructure ahead of the peak rainy season.