BMC chalks out drainage action plan, preparations for Hockey World Cup

Bhubaneswar: Major drains and their revival will be planned with the active participation of the councillors as they were requested to enlighten the residents, who had constructed houses along the 10 natural drainage channels across the city.

At the Corporation meeting today at BMC, the civic body discussed many major issues along with the drainage problems of the city.

As BMC had already issued a public notice with respect to reviving the 10 major drainage channels across the city, the councillors’ move will definitely help the civic authorities so that the drainage revamp plan would be implemented in true letter and spirit.

Already the Drainage Division of BMC has started a survey along all the drainage channels to know the extent of encroachments and illegal structures built obstructing the flow of stormwater.

It can be mentioned here that with the declaration of its “Zero Tolerance Policy”, BMC in coordination with Bhubaneswar Development Authority has taken out some particular demolition acts along the natural drainage channel no 4, 9, 7 and 10 recently.

Once the citizens apply for the sharing of land to allow BMC develop the drainage revival as per the Section 288 of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, the landowner near the drainage channels would have better infrastructure and less vulnerability to flooding in future.

A rough estimate has put that more than 90 per cent structures along the drainage channels are without plan approval.

Regarding the implementation of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana and to include more people, the councillors unanimously said that every person with a ration card should get the benefit so that the aim and objective of the health-care benefit scheme would be fulfilled.

As the Odisha Men’s World Cup Hockey 2018 is nearing faster the road cutting deadline will be fixed after a coordination meeting with all stakeholders so that no more inconvenience would be caused to the general public as they are at a receiving end during the monsoon season and the months thereafter.

Sanitation issues like separation of waste at source would be implemented and the contract of the sanitation agencies will be modified. A biogas plant of 40 TPD will be developed to convert waste to biogas.

“Already some locations were identified but the final decision is likely to be taken very soon,” said Municipal Commissioner Dr Krishan Kumar.

On the Smart Janpath project, Kumar said, “The first phase of Smart Janapath project is likely to end by December. The work between the Sishu Bhawan Square and Rajmahal are getting shapes with laying of various pavements, cycle tracks and other elements of the design. Others would follow soon and there will be a visible impact very soon.”

On plastic ban after the ban of plastic in BDA office, similar actions will be followed in BMC office. However, as the Govt notice on the ban is likely to come, the office, park and market complexes banning plastic by BDA-BMC will be mostly on creating awareness on the plastic ban.

The City Engineer was asked to prepare a detailed plan to repair all BMC roads in the city so that after the rains are over the proposal would be implemented immediately before the Puja. Many councillors raised the issue of bad roads across the city.