KMC starts drone survey of drainage infra for digital map

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has initiated a drone survey of all its drainage infrastructure above ground in a bid to draw up a digital map while is also considering formation of a policy to free canal banks of encroachments.

Member-Mayor-In-Council, Drainage & Sewerage department, Tarak Singh on Thursday was leading a drone inspection of canals. He later briefed the media that this would continue for two days. He said the objective is to identify and assess drainage infrastructure in the city, including pumping stations, so a digital map can be drawn up. “We want to put in the public domain a blueprint of drainage pumping stations in the city,” he said.

Singh added that the digital map will also contain the number of lock gates and their locations. “This information will help us in monitoring these during high tides from the control room,” he said.

He explained that about 25 per cent of the drainage discharge from the city goes to River Ganga and about 75 per cent to Bidyadhari.

“They first flow to the irrigation canals. We are trying to identify if and where the canals have become choked so it can be cleared for smooth flow of discharge.

Singh also said that such an inventory of information will also be sent to the state government to explore if a policy can be formed to free certain canal banks of encroachment so the flow does not get obstructed.