BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in association with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) has taken up a 15-day survey in the state capital to identify problems relating to urban flooding and water wastage, and propose corrective measures to the government to address the issues.
A meeting in this regard was convened at the BMC headquarters three days back under ‘Proliferating Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Indian Cities’ (EPIC).BMC additional commissioner Laxmikant Sethi said the focus of the meeting was to identify issues relating to urban flooding and water conservation and find out possible ways to prevent waterlogging of vulnerable localities as well as check both water wastage and scarcity. The civic body will also take up measures to fight the climate crisis.
“We have already identified places vulnerable to waterlogging. Discussions were held with officials of the line departments on how water drained from these areas could be saved to improve groundwater recharge,” he said.
BMC officials said apart from water issues, the survey will also include the current status of Kuakhai River and Gandua nullah and measures in place to check pollution. It will also focus on the identification of water bodies around which plantation is required to improve the city’s greenery.
“We have already identified 111 water bodies in the city of which 35 are of more than one acre in area. The study will be conducted on ways to improve greenery in their surroundings,” said an official of the environment wing.
The NIUA and BMC will prepare a report involving officials of Forest, Revenue and Disaster, Water Resources departments, ORSAC, Watco and other line departments underlining the status and new projects required to be implemented in the city to deal with the issues.
The report will be placed at the corporation meeting for approval. Once approved, it will be sent to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for review and nod for ground-level implementation under EPIC. Bhubaneswar is one of the 109 cities where the project is being implemented, officials said.