BHUBANESWAR: Facing heat over water-logging woes on the service road of NH-16 in front of Iskcon temple, a special joint squad of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday carried out an enforcement drive and cleaned culverts and drains in Nayapalli area here. The special team visited the water-logging site after a meeting among BMC, BDA and NHAI officials.
Additional Commissioner of BDA Bhabani Shankar Chayani, who led the joint squad, said, “The narrow opening of the culvert under the NH flyover on the road opposite Iskcon temple was cleaned and made wider and deeper.’’ Members of the squad said the culvert had been blocked by locals and traders. The cleaning work was carried out in presence of police. “We had to clear the blockage to facilitate discharge of more water through the culvert.
Preliminary study revealed that while one branch of the culvert was functioning partially, the other had been completely blocked,’’ Chayani said. Moreover, encroachments such as shops and signboards that were blocking the flow of water were also removed. Illegal parking was also cleared, he added. As the culverts were unable to discharge water through the openings, water-logging on the service road in front of Iskcon Temple was a regular affair, said BMC Officials. Blaming the faulty design of NHAI authorities for water-logging woes between CRP and Jaydev Vihar Square, the officials said the stretch has no underpass except two culverts to allow water to flow from one side to the other.
The civic authorities urged the NHAI to take up immediate measures to contain the water-logging woes along NH-16. On June 30, several vehicles were stranded after the service road in front of Iskcon temple was inundated due to rains. As the shabby drainage system stood exposed, BMC and NHAI officials engaged in a blame game with both holding each other responsible for the menace. On Monday, a team of NHAI officials led by Project Director Biju Patir inspected the stretch in front of Iskcon temple to identify the cause of flooding in the area.
- NHAI had constructed two culverts near a petrol pump close to Iskcon temple to discharge rainwater to the other side of the road
- BMC is accused of blocking the culverts with concrete to prevent water along the service roads of the NH from flooding drains in Behera Sahi
- Two pipes installed in Nayapalli for discharging storm water have not been connected with the drains on the opposite side of the service road
