kolkata: In a bid to resolve the issues of water-logging, Firhad Hakim, Chairman of Board of Administrators, Kolkata Municipal Corporation visited the area near Santoshpur Railway station, where a blocked culvert –belonging to Eastern Railway—along Mani Canal was obstructing the drainage of rain water into river Ganga, resulting in flooding of various pockets of Behala and Maheshtala.
"The blocked culvert has been acting as a barrier in the smooth passage of rain water. I have taken up the matter with the Railways and they have assured us to do the needful in this regard. A party office of the CPI(M) located on the bank of the canal just near the culvert also needs to be shifted to clear the flow of water. They have agreed and we have assured them of necessary assistance for the shifting . Chairman of the Board of Administrators Maheshtala Municipality Dulal Das will supervise this matter," Hakim said after holding a review meeting at Garden Reach Waterworks.
Hakim also asked the Irrigation department to take measures for dredging of the Mani canal for smooth passage of the water. Rain water from Behala is channelised through the Manikhali pumping station into river Ganga. The dredging issue of the Mani Canal has also been discussed at the highest-level in the administration with Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi chairing a meeting at Nabanna last Friday.