BMC drafts plan to restore old glory of Gangua river

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is all set to draw up a massive plan to rejuvenate the 23-km Gangua river (within city limits) that has turned into a nullah. Now, it not only takes load of the city’s effluents, but also the storm water that runs into from 10 natural drainage channels
Currently, under the administrative control of the water resources department, the river’s maintenance will be handed over to the BMC soon.
The 45-km river, originating at Chandaka, travels through the city for 23km before joining the Daya near Nuagaon near Pipili in Puri district. It is the capital’s distinct identity that has helped deal with the storm water.
German planner Otto Koenigsberger, who had planned the modern Bhubaneswar in 1948, had considered the Gangua to drain out the storm water discharged from the natural drainage channels. Bhubaneswar, being at the epicentre of the coastal belt, experiences heavy rainfall and cyclone frequently. The course of the natural drainage channels is such that they all end at the Gangua at different points.
Over the years, encroachments led to shrinking width of the river with people illegally constructing buildings and houses. Household and industrial effluents were also discharged that further led to growth of silt and weeds.
“Our plans are afoot to revive the Gangua so that the city gets rid of pollutants and frequent deluge upon continuous spell of rain. We are hopeful that the river gets back its original shape. We can our resources, manpower and money once it is handed over to us from the water resources department. A proposal is there to hand over the control of the river to us. We hope it will be done soon,” said city mayor Sulochana Das.
For the first time in 2009, a master plan had been prepared to restore the Gangua and Daya. Since the Gangua is polluted because of the city’s massive amount of effluents and all the trashes get discharged at the Daya when the rivers meet at Nuagaon, it also needs to be rejuvenated.
“Because of the pollution in the Gangua, villagers living in lower catchment suffer. There are places, where Gangua has no embankment. It looks flat. That poses a problem during the rainy season. We have taken drone images. I think this time the water resources department is taking it seriously to see its revival allowing the BMC to pitch in,” said Ashok Panda, MLA (Bhubaneswar-Ekamra) and minister, SSEPD and public enterprises.
The civic body wants Gangua river to be not only revived in terms of clearing of silt and restoration of its original length, but also it wants to ensure clean water flow in the river in all the seasons.