Green cell to fight urban flooding in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: After facing flak over waterlogging menace in the City, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has decided to set up an environmental cell to plan and regulate construction and land development activities properly as well as prevent urban flooding.

The cell is being set up under the provisions of Water Sensitive Urban Design in the BDA (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations 2018 to take up environmental planning.

“Formation of the cell was necessitated after large-scale water-logging was witnessed across the City recently due to encroachment and unwanted urban growth in environmentally sensitive zones (ESZs),” said a BDA official. The proposed move would thus enable BDA to properly plan the development of ESZs and tackle urban flooding situation, he said.

As per the Water Sensitive Urban Design Regulations, the cell would work and ensure sustainable planning in all ESZs and Open Space Use zones (parks and playgrounds) proposed under the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) of Bhubaneswar that are vulnerable to flooding and need a careful development approach.

BDA officials said the environment cell will plan development of ESZs in such a way that it will help in proper discharge of storm water and recharge of groundwater. The cell will also work on developing water bodies for recreational purpose.

The Nayapalli Haza (water body), which was part of the urban ecosystem, has been encroached and reduced in size causing storm water to flood the entire area. This water body will also be included in the ESZs and developed accordingly, the officials added.

Meanwhile, the BDA has floated an advertisement to recruit professionals and experts for setting up the cell. The proposed cell will have three environmental planners, an expert on water conservation and management and another on urban design.