By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR: It has taken the urban flooding in Capital city to assume calamitous proportions for Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) to open its eyes and initiate damage control measures. It has finally moved to restrict development work in the Environmentally Sensitive Zones (ESZ) that are arteries of natural drainage systems and also act as reservoirs to contain excess rain water, preventing water-logging in low-lying areas. The city planning agency will now stop builders and real-estate developers from carrying out construction activities without providing adequate drainage support for their projects even if they have the approvals.
Also read: CM writes to Gadkari over NH waterlogging
It has been decided to invoke the provisions of newly-amended BDA (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations, 2018 on development activity near notified wetlands, lakes, reservoirs, low-lying areas, environmentally sensitive zones and water bodies in this connection. Building and layout plan approval will only be given if the overall plan has sustainable drainage and low ecological impact- based development. As per the general regulations specified for ESZ, the minimum area for approval is one acre with maximum ground coverage of 40 per cent and there should be an approach road of 12 metres width, BDA sources said.
The Environmentally Sensitive Zones (ESZ) are not only contributing immensely for recharge of underground water table but also helping in containing the excess rainwater. However, unplanned urban growth in the ESZs has led man-made flood in the Capital. “We will not allow any construction in environmentally sensitive zones without proper drainage and accompanying road network. Approval might be given on complying with adequate drainage and road facilities under Town Planning (TP) Scheme only,’’ said a senior official.
As per the BDA database, ESZs in the South East region of the city comprise Lingipur, part of Sisupalgarh, Badadhanpur, Bamaghai, Bankuala, part of Bargarh, Meherpalli, Kesura, part of Jharpada and Koradakanta near Pandra while the North-Central region includes parts of Chandrasekharpur, Gadakana and Patia. Some parts of Mancheswar are also under ESZ area. In the Northern part of the city, ESZs near Nandankanan Biological Park have many mouzas (revenue units).
Jujhagarh, Raghunathpur and parts of Daruthenga and Dadha are under this category. Majority of the ESZs were previously used as agricultural land but the changed land use practices have led to their severe degeneration. Areas beyond Nandan Kanan like Khairapada, Barimund, part of Maridia near Barang, the river banks and part of embankments are also included under the ESZs.
