To prevent waterlogging: Rs 40 cr worth pumping station coming up at Behala

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken a significant stride in preventing waterlogging in and around a multistoried housing project located in Behala–Maheshtala bordering area particularly during the monsoons.

The civic body will be coming up with a drainage pumping station on 12 cottah land located inside the premises of the housing project itself which the authorities have agreed to hand over to KMC for construction of the pumping station.Tarak Singh who is in-charge of the Sewerage and Drainage department of KMC has already written to the Bengal Housing Board which is the original owner of the land to complete the formalities for quick hand over of the land. "As soon as we get the formal handover we will start preparing the DPR for the project," a senior official of the Drainage department said. Interestingly, KMC Mayor Firhad Hakim is the minister-in-charge of the Housing department so the handover process will not be of much hassle, according to the official.

As per plans the construction of the pumping station coming up at ward 127 of KMC will entail an investment of around Rs 40 crore. Four big and an equal number of small pumps will be installed. Water will be channelized to Begore Khal and then into Moni Khal in Maheshtala. Ward 127 in Behala and bordering wards under Maheshtala municipality will reap benefits of the project.

During monsoon season this year, Greenfield City project had remained inundated for some days at a stretch after heavy rainfall and the residents had to suffer a lot to perform their daily chores.