BHUBANESWAR : In a move to tackle recurring waterlogging in the city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to revive the defunct Lingipur canal and develop it as an integrated storm water holding basin.
The civic body has initiated the process of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed project. The initiative is part of a larger exercise under which the BMC plans to prepare DPRs for five projects aimed at improving urban drainage and conserving heritage sites.
An official from the corporation’s engineering wing said the BMC was in the process of obtaining approval from the Water Resources department for revival of the canal and its development as a storm water holding basin.
“The project is expected to ease waterlogging in the area to a significant extent. The DPR will be prepared after the agency is finalised,” the official said.
Apart from the Lingipur canal revival, the BMC has proposed extending Gangua Nullah in GGP Colony to address waterlogging in the locality.
The civic body will also prepare a DPR for the rejuvenation and heritage development of Bindu Sagar as part of its efforts to conserve the city’s heritage. The other two proposed projects involve developing peripheral drainage networks in the Lingipur area and around Azad Nagar in Sundarpada to address drainage and waterlogging problems in these localities.
The BMC has initiated the process of engaging an empanelled agency to prepare the five DPRs. The agency will undertake topographical, bathymetric and cadastral surveys, among other exercises, to document existing site conditions, identify plot boundaries and map land parcels required for the proposed projects.
