Bhubaneswar: To make the city flood-resilient, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday released the draft comprehensive stormwater drainage master plan prepared in association with IIT Roorkee. The BMC and IIT Roorkee had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard on Feb 18 last year.According to the draft, the total drainage coverage is 256 sq km. The project will adopt an integrated urban watershed, and hydrological and hydraulic approach, BMC officials said after the draft was released in a corporation meeting.“All minor, major and internal drains, and 13 drainage channels have been covered under the master plan for which Rs 200 crore will be spent in the first phase. The entire drainage system has been studied as an interconnected network — from micro-catchments and tertiary drains to primary and major ones, and finally the outfall system,” Priyabrata Behera, BMC executive engineer (drainage division), told TOI.The study incorporates GIS, drone mapping, DGPS, rainfall analysis, catchment delineation and hydraulic modelling. “Existing drains, natural channels, water bodies, culverts, syphons and critical outfalls have been assessed to identify flood hotspots, bottlenecks and capacity deficiencies,” Behera said.The draft master plan has proposed interventions such as drain augmentation, new drainage links, bottleneck removal, improvement of syphons and outfalls, detention and retention measures, groundwater recharge and pumping/lifting arrangements at critical locations. “The master plan will provide a technical framework for prioritising and preparing a detailed project report and implementing drainage projects in phases, based on flood risk, hydraulic importance, feasibility and land availability,” Behera said.Among the areas covered under the master plan is Ward 23, one of the largest wards in the BMC’s jurisdiction, which lacks drainage infrastructure, even as nearly one lakh residents — including some of the city’s most affluent households — often find themselves marooned in stagnant water.Earlier, the BMC had taken administrative control of 316 km of drains that were being maintained by the works department to effectively manage them. The BMC previously had to request the works department even for a small problem arising from drainage issues.The BMC officials said except for 65 km of Idco drain and 34 km of NHAI-managed drains, no other agency has control over the city’s internal drains now.The plan is futuristic considering population growth and hydro-climatic conditions up to 2050, the BMC officials said.Since it is a draft master plan, technical observations and suggestions from all departments and stakeholders concerned will be considered before finalisation, he added.
