KOLKATA: Residents of Kidderpore, Ekbalpore and Mominpore are hoping for some respite from the annual waterlogging woes, as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is getting ready to float a tender for construction of a major drainage pumping station at Nawab Ali Park in Ekbalpore.
The construction of the Rs 78 crore drainage pumping station is expected to begin by February this year with a one-year deadline given for its completion, said a KMC sewerage and drainage department senior official.
According to a KMC official, the pumping station has been planned to drain out storm water from large areas of Kidderpore. “When the drainage pumping station starts functioning, over a lakh residents of Karl Marx Sarani, Satya Doctor Road, Sudhir Bose Road, Dent Mission Road in Kidderpore will be able to get rid of waterlogging every monsoon,” said a KMC official.
Apart from large areas of Kidderpore, the proposed pumping station will also prove beneficial for residents of Ekbalpore and Mominpore. “This is one of the major drainage upgrade projects for south Kolkata. The drainage pumping station has been planned to take care of flooding woes of around 2 lakh population in the Kidderpore — Ekbalpore belt,” a civic official said.
The proposed drainage system will have six heavy duty pumps to drain out storm water of vast areas. “At present we need to depend on the Mominpore drainage pumping station to drain out storm water from the entire Kidderpore — Ekbalpore belt. But, several pumps at Mominpore drainage pumping station often falter and thus waterlogging can’t be prevented during heavy rains,” a KMC drainage department official said.
Mohammed Aslam, a resident of Ekbalpore Road expressed hope. “Every year before the onset of monsoon we keep our fingers crossed. The ordeal continues for over two and half months. After a heavy spell or two, we are compelled to stay indoors. Now, if the KMC comes up with a solution, we will not only welcome this project but if need be we will extend our cooperation,” Aslam said.
Tender for the project would be floated by end of January. “Normally, such a project needs 48 months for completion. But we have set a one-year deadline for the construction firm,” said a KMC official.
