Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will invest Rs 8,736 crore to rejuvenate the heavily-polluted Gangua nullah in Bhubaneswar.
This ambitious project aims to restore and beautify the 33-km stretch of the water channel, from Rajdhani Engineering College in the state capital to Kanti village near Jatni.
Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi shared the details during a recent review meeting she chaired with officials from the Works and Water Resources departments.
The Gangua nullah, which originates in the western uplands and flows southeastward before merging with the Daya river, has long been plagued by severe pollution. After traversing about 13 km, it effectively functions as an open sewer due to untreated wastewater discharged from multiple urban drains. Eight of the city’s 10 major natural drainage channels connect directly to it, while the remaining two indirectly contribute through linked systems.
Despite previous cleanup efforts, the nullah continues to face existential challenges from ongoing pollution and urban encroachment.
The comprehensive restoration plan seeks to address these issues by improving water quality, enhancing drainage infrastructure, and incorporating beautification elements to transform the nullah into a more viable urban water body. The project is expected to significantly benefit residents by reducing flooding risks, boosting groundwater recharge, and improving the overall environment in the region.
In addition, the government has allocated Rs 448 crore for the revival and development of the Daya West canal, which spans about 34.86 km from Barang to Jatni. This parallel effort will focus on desilting, embankment strengthening, and overall restoration to revive its functionality and support local water needs.
During the meeting, Aparajita also examined drainage concerns in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area and instructed officials to expedite cleaning and restoration of drainage systems ahead of the monsoon season to prevent waterlogging.
Furthermore, a detailed assessment of 37 ongoing projects under the Works department revealed that tenders had been finalised for three initiatives with discussions advancing for the execution of the remaining 34. The meeting also discussed steps to reduce traffic congestion in the city, construction of new parks in different places under BMC area.
Bhubaneswar Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Principal Secretary of Works Department Sanjay Singh, Principal secretary of Water Resources Department Subha Sharma, BMC commissioner Chanchal Rana along with other departmental officers and engineers were present.
In February, the Bhubaneswar MP had laid the foundation stone for three major road projects worth Rs 12 crore in the Ekamra and Jatni Assembly segments. The projects include a 5.3 km road from the Daya river embankment to Gangua canal embankment to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3.96 crore and a 4.7 km road from the Daya river embankment at Nishtharinanipur to Madhupur (Ranibandh) to be taken up at a cost of Rs 3.33 crore. Additionally, a 6.2 km road between Sundarpada and Botanda in the Jatni segment worth Rs 4.43 crore.
Together, these roads will cover nearly 16 km and are expected to benefit over 25,000 residents from seven panchayats. It will make travel smoother, especially along the route from Pipili to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.
