Bhubaneswar: In a bid to address the recurring waterlogging issue in the state capital permanently, housing and urban development department has identified 13 vulnerable areas or corridors within the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits and taken up a comprehensive urban flood mitigation plan.The initiative is based on a detailed study conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, which was engaged by the BMC to prepare a storm water drainage master plan for the entire city. The study involved extensive hydrological and hydraulic analysis of the city’s drainage network, watershed delineation and identification of flood-prone zones.According to the findings of the preliminary assessment, 13 locations have been termed as highly vulnerable to urban flooding, and prioritised for intervention. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for several of these locations have already been prepared and approved by the state govt, and work has commenced on the ground.Projects that are currently underway include drainage improvement works at Iskcon and Nayapalli, Bomikhal and Rasulgarh corridor, construction of siphons on main drain 5 and 6, and part of the DPR-based work on main drain 7. These areas have repeatedly witnessed severe waterlogging during moderate to heavy rainfall.Officials said the remaining flood-prone locations would be taken up in a phased manner once the final drainage master plan is submitted by IIT Roorkee. The DPRs for the remaining corridors will be prepared and executed on the basis of catchment-wise hydraulic assessments to ensure long-term and sustainable solutions.“The master plan is in its final stage. Once the final report is received, the remaining works will be approved and implemented systematically,” said mayor Sulochana Das, adding that the approach marks a shift from temporary desilting or pumping arrangements to permanent, science-based drainage redesign.The civic body has asserted that the plan would prevent fragmented interventions and ensure that drainage improvement across the capital city follows a comprehensive urban flooding mitigation strategy. This aims at reducing disruptions and safeguarding low-lying areas that have historically borne the brunt of urban flooding.“We can see the work going on along the Kalpana-Rasulgarh stretch on a war footing, but the approach is really bad. The contractor engaged in the work is doing part work instead of a seamless construction of box drain on both sides of the road. We don’t think the work would be completed in time,” Bomikhal resident Prakash Puhana said.
