Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning seven new drains across the city to manage water logging.
The over Rs 9.45-crore drainage plan is under the tendering process. The new drains will include construction of internal drain systems with covered slabs at Ananta Vihar Phase-II in Ward No 62, Dumduma Housing Board Colony Phase-IV in Ward No 65, Jagannath Vihar from Plot No 387 to Plot No 59/553 (Lane-3) in Ward No 24, construction of drainage system in Bhagabat Sandhan area in Ward No 19, renovation of Drainage Channel No 5 near the backside of Sriya Talkies in Ward No 42, construction of drain from the backside of OMFED to Drainage Channel Number 1 via Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra Park Road and improvement of drainage system in Ahalya Nagar area in Ward No 3.
The drainage development and renovation of the existing system would cost Rs 86.30 lakh, Rs 1.51 crore, Rs 49.98 lakh, Rs 2.30 crore, Rs 12.84 lakh, Rs 3.50 crore and Rs 65 lakh from Ward No. 62 to OMFED area, respectively. These new lines would facilitate draining of water from waterlogged localities in an effective manner.
On the other hand, the Municipal Commissioner held a review meeting on water logging and drainage situation with all officers, ward officers, sanitary inspectors, engineers and experts at BMC Conference Hall Tuesday morning.
It was decided to have a strict vigilant eye on each low-lying area of the city. Total BMC jurisdiction area was divided into 12 sub-zones where 12 senior officers were told to take the lead and go to the area personally with their teams. Each nodal officer of every sub-zone was asked to take stock of the situation everyday and report.
The situation assessment and immediate actions will be reviewed during the evening hours every day. Sanitation agencies were asked to be present with all required number of workers and apparatus as well as vehicles. Mechanical Engineering wing of the civic body was asked to hire as many pumps as required to dewater the low-lying areas across the city.
On Monday, several localities including the road in front of ISKCON temple at Nayapalli area on National Highway 16, Acharya Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Bomikhal, Old Town, Dumduma and Sisupalgarh in the state capital were inundated due to incessant rainfall.
The BMC Storm Water Helpline received 16 complaints from 6 am till 7.15 pm Tuesday from various parts of the city. All complaints were resolved quickly, officials claimed.