The landscape and the demography of the city might be changing rapidly but one feature of the city still remains the same over the years--water logging points. Whenever it rains, the stagnation points double up as landmarks in various locations across the city even as the civic body struggles to clear them permanently. Whether it is the list compiled by the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) or the traffic police, the sites near Model House in Punjagutta, CM camp office in Begumpet, KBR Road, IT corridor and several others make it to the list season after season.
The only way out for this problem is to pump rain water back in to the water table, suggests KM Lakshmana Rao, Director and Chief Engineer of (Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad and Coordinator of Centre of Excellence on Disaster Management of the University.
The job to study and find solutions for around 220 water logging points had been entrusted to an expert team of JNTU-H headed by Mr. Rao through an MoU which will also include imparting training to GHMC engineers on the best practises.
“We will do a field level mapping, study and a way out,” he said.
Based on his preliminary observations, the professor said that in around 20 locations where the water-logging is rampant, a 120 feet bore or sludge pump has to be installed.
“A slope should be made such that rainwater on the main road smoothly flows in to the second-level road or storm water drains. A lowest point in the nearby location should be selected where a sludge pumpset can transport excess rain water in to the ground. The workers should be trained to operate these pumpets during the rainy season or whenever it rains heavily,” he said.
Mr. Rao said that this was an effective way of recharging ground table besides providing an outlet to the rain water in low lying areas.
He said that the team will go ahead with 3d mapping of the catchment areas in the city and outskirts since only length and width has been recorded so far and not the depth. He also recommended that large water harvesting pits be dug near to the stagnation points to ensure that the water does not flow on to the road.
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