BHUBANESWAR : With Bhubaneswar and Cuttack reeling under severe waterlogging during heavy rains and monsoon season, the state government has asked civic bodies of the Twin City to take up drainage desiltation work thrice a year.
Housing and Urban Development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who chaired a review meeting on sanitation, drainage and urban flood mitigation measures in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) areas on Thursday, directed both the agencies to adopt a proactive and technology-driven approach to drainage management.
The order was issued after expert assessments pointed to narrowed drains and heavy silt accumulation of up to 3-4 feet at several locations, reducing the carrying capacity of the drainage network in both the cities.
“Desiltation of major drains in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will now be undertaken thrice a year as part of intensified measures to tackle recurring waterlogging and urban flooding,” Mahapatra directed. He also asked authorities concerned to explore deployment of high-tech machinery for mechanised drain cleaning and ensure that major drains are systematically desilted.
The minister also called for installation of advanced flood sensors at strategic locations and their integration with the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) to enable realtime monitoring, early identification of possible inundation and timely alerts to vulnerable areas.
Reviewing preventive measures for spots highly vulnerable to urban flooding, Mahapatra directed early completion of the ongoing drainage project near ISKCON temple for a permanent solution to waterlogging in the area. He also asked officials to fast-track drainage interventions in Behera Sahi and strengthen integrated road-cum-drain infrastructure at critical locations across BMC.
On sanitation, the minister directed officials to adopt innovative, technology-based solutions to address persistent garbage accumulation and foul odour, including at locations such as the Sainik School area.
Mahapatra also set an ambitious target for BMC and CMC to secure Rank 1 in the national Swachhata rankings. Referring to Bhubaneswar’s earlier 9th position in its category, he called upon both ULBs to intensify sanitation efforts in mission mode and focus on visible and sustainable improvements.
BMC floats tender for 3.19-km stormwater channel near ISKCON
Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has floated a tender for construction of a 3.19-km underground stormwater channel from near ISKCON temple to major drainage channel no 4 at Vani Vihar to deal with recurring waterlogging near the shrine. BMC officials said the project work will be taken up at a cost of around `24 crore. It will run parallel to NH-16 via Jayadev Vihar to resolve the severe flooding on the temple stretch during heavy rains.