Govt initiative helps hospital in Howrah check water-logging

Water-logging during monsoon, with the ground floor of the hospital going under knee deep water, had been a long-standing problem. It used to become impossible to drain out the water, even after setting up two pumps.

Finding it difficult to get an access to the hospital due to water logging, people with patients even in serious condition had to travel four kilometers more to reach Howrah District Hospital for emergency treatment.

Moreover, patients admitted in the hospital also had to pass the days in awe as there was all possibility of poisonous insects and snakes moving into the building when its ground floor remains under knee-deep water.

The problem had started since a stretch of the adjacent GT Road has been concretised. The height of the important thoroughfare had gone up by around one foot after the stretch from Baburdanga near Salkia to Liluah was turned to a concrete one.

The decision of turning the road to a concrete one was taken to avoid water logging on the road during monsoon. Condition of the road used to get worse every year as water used to remain logged for around two days at a stretch.

With the increase in height of the road, buildings on both sides of the road go under water every year during monsoon. 

Owners of the private buildings had constructed concrete thresholds at the entrance of buildings to restrict water from entering the building.

The hospital authorities had used pumps last year to drain out the logged water. But it was not of much help.

This time, Vaishali Dalmiya, the local MLA from Bally Assembly seat, did a reccee of the area and decided, following discussion with the district administrative officers, that the problem of water logging can be solved by draining out water to the nearby water bodies.

On an emergency basis and large pond in the hospital premises was cleaned. Pumps were set up in such a way that the water can be pumped into the pond so that water does not remain stagnant in the hospital premises.

Steps would also be taken soon to clean another adjacent lake. Thus, from this year, there is no possibility of water logging in the hospital and the residents of the area can easily enter the hospital for treatment even during the monsoon.

It may be mentioned that the state government has also given a new look to the Satyabala Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital, situated in the same area, that had been in shambles for more than three decades.

Renovation of the hospital was essential as it is the only centre for the treatment of infectious diseases after the Beliaghata ID Hospital.

In a bid to renovate the hospital an amount of Rs 50 lakh was sanctioned from the MLA lad of Ashok Ghosh, MLA of North Howrah Assembly constituency. The money was sanctioned in the past five years.

Tall grasses had grown on the ground in front of the hospital and had turned it to a breeding ground of snakes. During day time, cows were found grazing in the ground. Interestingly there was no gate at the entry and exit point of the hospital. Thus a section of bus operators had turned the ground in front of the hospital to a parking lot.

During the erstwhile Left Front government, the pond inside the hospital was leased out to a close aide of a local CPI(M) leader for pishiculture.

The situation was such that the district administration had faced a lot of trouble to make a way for common people to reach to the hospital building from the main gate.

The renovation work of the hospital had started in mid 2015 and at present it has got a new lease of life. The one-storeyed hospital building has now turned to a two storeyed one.

The construction work of the building is complete. But, before initiating the construction work, the entire ground was cleaned and steps were taken to beautify the ground. Initiative has been taken to turn the ground to a garden. The bank of the pond has also been decorated.