Authority and Citizens join hand to combat water logging

In New Town, for the past several months, Hidco and NKDA have been taking steps so that water does not accumulate in New Town during monsoons. We have installed the huge drainage pumping station at Jatragachi. The canal leading to it from Eco Park has been excavated and cleaned and a new sluice gate installed to isolate the water in the lake from the pass-khal: photo:

New Sluice Gate at Eco Park lake
(Photo courtesy Suman Neogy) 

We have excavated new stretches of periphery canal in Action Area 2. We have cleared drainage pipes in Chinar Park. We have re-excavated canal near Tarulia in Action Area I.

Yesterday I held a meeting with local residents where NKDA, Hidco and PHE engineers were present. I appealed to all to help us to ensure that drains are not choked with construction materials being used to build houses. It was decided that a joint publicity-cum-cleaning drive would be flagged off from 12 noon tomorrow (Friday). Roadside stalls will also be requested to help clean the drains underneath. Additional dustbins would be placed for the stalls to keep the drains free. Awareness would be generated not to use drains for dumping cement slush and sand.

Residents pointed out instances of water logging due to Metro works. I collected the street numbers and spoke to Mr H.S.Yadav, CGM RVNL yesterday itself and today Metro engineers have made an inspection and initiated action including installation of additional pumps to drain away water from these streets,. As decided yesterday, Mr Ananda Ganguly, ED Hidco, held a meeting with Cement Mixing Plant owners of New Town and sensitized them that excess concrete etc should be brought back to source instead of dumping in drains meant for draining water during rains.
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Here is a clipping from today's Hindustan Times:

Hindustan Times dt 19.6.2014