Bhubaneswar: The Drainage Channel Number 4 will undergo a detailed survey by Drainage Division of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) so that every encroachment and obstruction along its course would be detailed out. Recently the Drainage Channel was in focus for series of eviction drives along its course.
As the BMC and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) have adopted the “Zero Tolerance Policy’’ over the encroachment near the banks of the channel or over it, deviations with respect to Master Plan drains and other water channels other than the major Drainage Channels would be seriously viewed.
BDA Additional Commissioner (Enforcement) Bhabani Shankar Chayani said “apart from Drainage Channel No. 4 others like Channel No. 7 and 10 are also in the priority list of the city authorities to make them free from encroachment and people restricting the flow of rainwater would face the music today or tomorrow.’’
To start with survey over the channels has already started with Drainage Channel No. 4, 5, 6 and 7. Executive Engineer and in-charge of the BMC Drainage Division Pradip Sagar Duria said “once the survey is over eviction will again start to remove the encroachers from the illegal occupation from the drainage course or the catchment. If the encroachment is over Government land, the structure will be demolished. Even in case of encroachment over private land demolition will be done under Section 288 of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, through which the owner of the private land can apply for having compensation.’’
The survey teams include experts from the Drainage Division, revenue staff and the Zonal Deputy Commissioners of the particular zone under BMC.
However, a senior official warned that the buyer of a land in the city should first find out that whether the land is coming near any drainage channel or not.
“It will be better for the rest of the life and peace of mind of the land owner to investigate whether the land is affected by any drainage channel, its course, catchment or the land is in the process of being acquired by the city authorities,’’ suggested an official from BMC.
With the incessant rains causing water-logging and inundation in many parts near the drainage channels, it is obvious that before getting into a land deal, a prospective owner must check the drainage situation of the area and the elevation plan of the plot. “In future for plan approval submission of elevation plan might become a prime requisite,’’ said another official.
The city administration has designated three senior supervising officers to carry out work regarding drainage development, removal of encroachments on drainage channels, over the total catchment or drainage area of the respective water sources across the city. Under the leadership of these three senior officials from BMC and BDA, other 10 officials were given individual charges of the 10 major drainage channels of the city.
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