200 desilting machines, pumps to keep Kolkata afloat in monsoon

KOLKATA: Civic authorities in both Kolkata and Salt Lake are busy rounding up the last leg of preparations to prevent flooding of streets and neighbourhoods during monsoon, which set over Kolkata on Monday.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is keeping over 200 desilting machines ready ahead of the monsoon. The sewerage and drainage department has decided to engage a private firm to operate these machines to desilt clogged sewer lines in waterlogging- prone areas. According to a civic official, KMC is particularly worried over stretches of Cossipore-Belgachhia belt, Bidhan Sarani, Muktarambabu Street, MG Road, Chittaranjan Avenue, Camac Street, Elgin Road, Bhowanipore, New Alipore, Jodhpur Park, Golf Green and Behala, among other areas where waterlogging has become an annual feature.
The drainage department has kept its focus on some of the major drainage pumping stations like Palmerbazar, Ballygunge, Ultadanga, Mominpore and Dhapa Lock, which drain out storm water of several major thoroughfares and neighbourhoods. "We have procured several heavy-duty pumps to replace pumps at some major pumping stations. We hope this replacement will yield desired results," said a civic official.
The department is taking extra care for residents of the Behala-Joka belt and areas off EM Bypass. Majority of these localities get inundated due to an absence of underground sewerage system. "Though we have taken up a drainage upgrade project in these areas, the work is still underway, and we need to take adequate measures to save residents from inundation. We have kept submersible pumps ready," said a drainage department official.
Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been conducting a pre-monsoon drive across Salt Lake and Rajarhat-Gopalpur to clean up the gully pits and drainage lines, levelling major roads with the entrances of houses and trimming large trees.
BMC drainage and sewerage department officials said that all pre-monsoon measures were being taken across Salt Lake and Rajarhat-Gopalpur. The gully pits are being cleaned up. The authorities are also upgrading the drainage pumping stations by replacing the old pumps with new high-power pumps. Salt Lake has a drainage network of about 180km.
BMC is also levelling the street with that of the entrance and driveways of houses. It has been noticed that due to the higher level of the streets, the excess stormwater could not flow out and floods the driveways and even enters the underground reservoirs.
Also, to minimise the damage done by falling of trees during thunderstorms, the BMC authorities have been pruning tall trees that are leaning on the road.