Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has decided to accelerate drainage development work at Satya Nagar in the capital city here in a bid to beautify the area and manage urban flooding in the rainy season.
As part of Lake Neutral project, the BSCL has decided to expedite work for the south side of the natural drainage no 10 at Satya Nagar. According to sources, the authorities have set a goal of developing new infrastructure on a stretch of 1.1 km in the locality.
“The proposed new infrastructure within the lake region runs along the lake’s southern perimeter. The built area will feature a practical landscape that is both extensive and simple to maintain. This will provide pedestrians with unfettered access and visual continuity. Heritage gardens and public areas will be created along the roadway. There will be cycle lanes and resting spots. To improve the landscape setting, native plantings will be promoted,” stated BSCL General Manager Kamaljit Das.
According to him, the components that have been planned to be developed include a 4-lane carriageway, a 2.5-metre footpath for pedestrians, a 2.5-metre wide cycle track, 8-metre wide public realm with recreational space and a 5- metre wide native plantations and street trees, roadside gardens and public plazas along with storm water drains and a retaining wall.
It can be mentioned here that the development of the Lake Zone was one of the key smart city projects in Bhubaneswar Town Center District (BTCD) area, which the BSCL had envisaged for revival of drainage channel no. 10, a major storm water drainage channel in the city.
The BSCL, which had planned separate storm water channels and sewage channel and water treatment plant, initiated the project in 2017. It had planned to spend Rs 63 crore on the project.
However, the project work was stalled due to delay in land acquisition, onset of Covid-19 pandemic and other official rigmarole, sources said.
According to BSCL sources, the tender for development work at the south side of the natural drainage no. 10 near Satya Nagar has been finalised while the same for the north side of the channel towards Maharishi College will be finalised soon.
Around Rs 15 crore will be spent on the development of the south side of the channel with the deadline being set as six months from April.
“The government has set a target to beautify the road, which will serve as an alternative approach to the Satya Nagar area. We have asked the agency and officials to ensure completion of the work within the deadline,” said BSCL CEO Sanjay Kumar Singh.
PNN