Civic body of Odisha capital wakes up after drain water enters houses

Bhubaneswar: A day after drawing flak for being so ill-prepared to fix water-logging problem in Odisha capital, the civic authorities have finally woke up with some measures to resolve the issue on an urgent basis.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) today decided to construct seven new drains in different parts of the city to tackle waterlogging during the monsoon season.

“The BMC has allocated Rs 9.45 crore for the construction of drains at various places from where complaints regarding waterlogging are being reported frequently”, BMC Deputy Commissioner Srimata Mishra told reporters here this evening.

He also informed that the BMC has instructed each nodal officer of every sub-zone to visit their respective areas between 9 am and 11 am everyday to take stock of the situation and submit reports in evening.

Instructions have been issued to the engineering department to make provisions for installation of water pumps to release rainwater from the waterlogged areas, Mishra added.

BMC initiates process for 7 new drains across city to manage water logging situation. The new drains will be at Ananta Vihar Pahse-II, Dumduma Housing board colony, Jagannath Vihar, Bhagabat Sandhan area, backside of OMFED to drain channel no.1 1/2 pic.twitter.com/vTIWPnNAj5

— BMC (@bmcbbsr) July 17, 2018

The new drains would come up at Ananta Vihar Phase-II in Ward Number-62, Dumduma Housing Board Colony Phase –IV in Ward No- 65, Jagannath Vihar in Ward No- 24, Bhagabat Sandhan in Ward No- 19, renovation of drainage channel No-5 near back side of Sriya Talkies in Ward No-42 and one at Ahalya Nagar area in Ward No- 3 in the city.

The drainage development and renovation of the existing system would cost Rs 86.30 lakh and Rs 1.51 crore, Rs 49.98 lakh, Rs 2.40 crore, Rs 12.84 lakh, Rs 3.50 core and Rs 65 lakh would be spent for construction of various drains.

The civic authorities have decided to keep a tab on each low-lying areas of the city during the monsoon season.

The total BMC jurisdiction area was divided into 12 sub zones where 12 senior officers were asked to take the lead and visit the places physically with their teams to review the situation.

It may be mentioned here that several low-lying areas such as Acharya Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Nayapalli, Bomikhal, Old Town among others were submerged after heavy downpour on Monday. In many areas, drain water entered into bedrooms and kitchens of buildings in posh areas in the city.