Odisha Plans To Scale Up Bridge-Cum-Water Wire Structures

Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra has directed the Works Department to scale up the replication of bridge-cum-water wire structures throughout Odisha.

During his recent tours to several districts Mahapatra  assessed the effectiveness of the structures.  Speaking at a high-level meeting here on Sunday, Mahapatra asked Secretary (Works) Vir Vikram Yadav to take steps towards building similar structures in different parts of Odisha.

Reviewing the water holding capacity of the bridge-cum-water-wire structures piloted in some districts, Mahapatra said, “It is most cost-effective technology with multiple utilities like ground water recharge, raising the water level in river beds, irrigating fertile land on both sides of the river etc. In some places, river front parks can also be developed as a public utility.”

Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena said check dam-cum-water wires had also no adverse effect on usual flow of water in the concerned river or nullah as it allowed the flow beyond 1.5 meter of height. The structures could be done through two different methods such as automated gate provision, or plain water holding structure to the permissible height. “Both the methods proved effective for our state,” Jena said.

The Works department has been asked to identify the high-level bridges in all roads where such structure would be feasible. The department will prepare a 3-year prospective plan for the purpose and a target has been set to construct 1000 such bridge-cum-water wire structures in coming three years. Yadav appraised that around 49 bridges were taken up for such structures on pilot basis. Out of this, the structures under 12 bridges were completed.

Mahapatra directed the Department of Water Resources to the supply the stocked water for irrigation on both sides of the nullahs and rivers where such structures were completed through lift-point pipes. Horticulture department was asked to motivate the farmers for cultivation of vegetables and cash crops. The water could also be used for drinking water projects wherever necessary.

Engineers of the Works department have been asked to complete constructions of water-wire structures in balance 37 bridges on war footing. These structures would come up in the districts of Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Balangir and Sundargarh.

Special Secretary and Engineer in Chief, Works Department, Manoranjan Mishra apprised the cost involvement in construction of I meter water-wire comes around Rs.1.5 lakh. “It can hold water level of around 1000 cubic meter. Water-ware under a 30 meter bridge could yield 30,000 cubic meter of water at a particular point of time. The structures also sustained the pressure of water during the monsoon,” he said.

Among others, Additional Chief Secretary Water Resources, Anu Garg, Principal Secretary Finance, Vishal Kumar Dev, and senior officials were present at the meeting.

Major ones include water-wires under:

HL bridge over Iswarpal Nallah, HL bridge over Ramial river in Dhenkanal district; Cell Bridge over siding Pata Nallah, HL bridge over Fatkamal Nallah, HL bridge over Rajendra Jore, Bridge over Local Nallah on Dadpur-Rupra road in Kalahandi district; Bridge over Kanchi Nallah on State High way-19, HL bridge over Raigudi Nallah in Matyubhanj district; and. HL bridge over river Genguti on Dhamnagar- Sendhpur road in Bhadrakh district.