Joint Eviction Drive At Nayapalli Haza Paves The Way For Restoration Of Water Body

Bhubaneswar: The joint eviction drive of BMC-BDA to clear encroachments at Nayapalli Haza ended on Tuesday.

Three concrete structures built illegally on reclaimed land, were demolished.

The drive paved the way for the renovation of Nayapalli Haza, which was reduced to 1.5 acres from 7 acres due to encroachments. The siltation had also shrunk the water body, which once could take in the rainwater of the entire Nayapalli catchment. The natural Drainage Channel No. 10 also originates from near Nayapalli Haza.

”This was the biggest eviction drive in the city to revive a water body from encroachment and to also create a wonderful facility where the entire water from the Nayappali catchment would be collected and then treated scientifically so that purified water would flow downstream through Drainage Channel No. 10, which ultimately takes the water load to Gangua `nullah’ on the outskirts of the city,” said Additional Commissioner-cum-Member Enforcement, BDA, Bhabani Shankar Chayani.

The joint eviction process was carried out in the presence of Nayapalli Police. While three excavators were used during the eviction drive, four platoons of police (three men’s and one women’s) and four squads from the BDA-BMC Enforcement Wing were present.

The under-construction fly-ash brick structures were demolished by the joint squad on Monday. The operation was later stalled due to heavy rain.

According to the new drainage plan of Nayapalli area, the redistribution of drainage water into three channels would be up to their discharge point into Nayapalli Haza. This would help in solving the problem of flooding of downstream habitations of Behera Sahi.

The drainage division of BMC will prepare a comprehensive plan for development of Nayapalli Haza. It will include floating wetlands, constructed wetlands, sedimentation tanks and water bubbling or aerators. The objective is to discharge treated water into Drainage Channel No. 10, which originates from the water body from the heart of Behera Sahi.

On the other hand, a width of 12 metres of the natural Drainage Channel No. 10 will be maintained from its origin up to the meeting point under Bidyut Marg near `The World’ shopping complex. For this purpose “Stop Construction’’ notice shall be issued against the buildings and real-estate developers and it shall be ensured that no construction activity is allowed until the entire width of 12 metres for the Drainage Channel No. 10 is identified.