75 Points Vulnerable To Flooding In Odisha Capital, Cannot Cover Natural Drains: BMC Commissioner

Bhubaneswar: Two days after the death of a 15-year-old boy in a swollen drain, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said 75 spots vulnerable to waterlogging and artificial flooding have been identified in the Odisha capital.

“Water pumps have been engaged at 35 spots,” he added.

This was revealed after the civic body carried out a fresh assessment of urban flood vulnerability. The engineers have been asked to identify problems at these vulnerable points and find permanent solutions for effective management of stormwater in the city, he said.

Notably, the number of vulnerable locations had remained static at 27 for several years.

Also Read: Bhubaneswar Boy Swept Into Drain Found Dead

“The entire drainage system will be redesigned and revamped
to bolster the city’s drainage system to make it robust so that in
could deal with heavy rainfall,” Singh said.

Since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed against covering natural drains, appropriate steps will be taken to prevent mishaps, the commissioner further said.

Covering of drains will result in increased toxicity and health hazards owing to trapped gases, the NGT had said.

Meanwhile, experts have called for immediate short-term measures like safety grills and signboards to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, which have claimed seven lives in six years.

The BMC has also decided to expand drainage channels 7 and 10 on a priority basis to prevent waterlogging in New Forest Park and Bairagi Nagar areas. It will soon submit a proposal to the State government for the acquisition of land for expansion of these channels.

Also Read: Seven Deaths In 6 Years: Overflowing Open Drains In Smart City Bhubaneswar Ready To Devour You!

“We have decided to seek government permission for land acquisition in 500-metre stretch in the New Forest Park area for expansion of the drainage channel 7 while a proposal will also be placed for land acquisition in Bairagi Nagar for widening of channel 10 to prevent flooding in both the areas,” an engineer of the BMC drainage division was quoted as saying by TNIE.

The BMC has been facing the heat following the death of the Class X boy, who was swept away in a drain on Sunday afternoon, with cases being filed against the commissioner, whom Congress and BJP have blamed for the mishap.

Also Read: BMC Likely To Face Legal Heat Amid ‘Justice For Jyoti Prakash’ Demand