Irrigation dept augments pumping capacity
Kolkata: The state Irrigation and Waterways department has already started augmentation of the existing capacity of its pumping stations in Kolkata and its adjoining areas to address the issue of inundation and also undertaken construction of some new pumping stations.
“The rainfall that occurred in the wee hours on Tuesday was unprecedented and the official weather forecast too had not predicted such heavy rainfall. The canals in the city are designed to cater to storm water drainage of 100- 125 mm/ day rainfall. However, extremely heavy rainfall above 200 m occurred at 15 places and very heavy rainfall (above 115 to 202 mm) occurred at 10 places in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area and that too in a span of 6 hours resulting in overflowing of the canals.
Apart from augmenting the capacity of our existing pumping stations, we are setting up some new ones too. We will also sit with experts and explore technology in order to confront this assault of nature,” said Manas Bhunia, state Irrigation and Waterways minister.
The minister also called for awareness among the common people so that they do not dump garbage at will in the drainage canals and wait for the municipality to come and collect the same from their households.
A new pumping station of 200 cusec capacity is being constructed over Cantonment Khal at Prafulla Kanan in Kestopur. The other new pumping stations that are being constructed are of 1060 cusec at the outfall of Main Charial canal at its confluence with Ganga at Charial, one of capacity 400 cusecs over TP canal and other at the confluence of Begore Khal with Manikhali khal. These have been planned through mathematical model analysis. The augmentation of the existing Kulti pump house at the outfall of Bagjola canal by 2400 cusec is ongoing.
The minister admitted that encroachment has affected the normal flow of the canal. “Encroachment is a social problem and we will be initiating talks with concerned government departments to tackle this issue,” said Bhunia.
