KOLKATA: At last Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has drawn up a plan to clean sewerage and drainage lines in Salt Lake. The VIP township has been going through unprecedented waterlogging this monsoon. However, residents rued they haven’t seen any effort from the civic body to desilt the choked rainwater drainage channels and gully pits.
TOI on August 6 reported how water has been flooding into reservoirs of households and “rain, stagnant water put Salt Lake residents’ health at risk.” In Salt Lake, the reservoirs are built below the driveways. Every time there’s waterlogging, filthy water flows into the driveways and on to the water reservoirs.
Even as BMC would cite the overflowing canals as the major reason, the civic body is finally addressing the issue. “We have instructions from mayor Krishna Chakraborty to start cleaning the drains in the next few days. We were planning to start today but heavy rains prevented us,” a BMC official said. In the ongoing monsoon, several blocks across Sector I, II and III have been swamped with water even after moderate rains. “God help us is there’s heavy downpour. The streets fill up and the water level refuses to go down,” said Dipti Roy, an octogenarian resident of AE Block. “I see no difference between those living in low-lying rural areas like Ghatal and a showpiece urban locale like Salt Lake. People from both places start panicking every time there’s heavy rainfall,” rued P K Chatterjee, a resident of BK Block.
Rajesh Chirimar, member, board of administrators and coordinator, ward 39, BMC, said, “Desilting the drains is the need of the hour if we were to prevent such trouble.” Chirimar also called for plastic ban, which he claimed to be the reason behind blocked sewer lines.
BMC teams will be deployed to clear the choked manholes and gullypits.
