Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 18: After frequent water logging of Srinagar roads with slight downpour, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is working on mega drainage and de-watering projects in the city to overcome the problem that has been worsened due to 2014 floods.
Presently only 47 percent of Srinagar city is covered under drainage system and majority of the city areas have drainage that is 50 years old and its efficacy has got reduced to 10 percent over the decades.
The devastating floods of 2014 have wreaked havoc with the drainage system of Srinagar as it has choked the drains and despite cleaning lot of silt is still in the system. Superintending Engineer of SMC, Virnder Raina told Excelsior that one of the reasons for water logging due to rains is choking of drains by silt. “We floated tenders last year for mechanical cleaning of these drains but no company came forward. Now we are hiring 20 machines that will be deployed for cleaning of these drains and we are also purchasing some machines as well”, he said.
Raina said that they are working on Rs 300 Crore World Bank funded project for up-gradation of de-watering pumps across Srinagar city and redesigning of their approach drains.
There are 80 de-watering pumps in Srinagar city and these were inundated during 2014 floods. To overcome the problem of their inundation, 27 of these pumps are being upgraded by Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) through Asian Development Bank funding. The 50 other de-watering pumps are being upgraded through World Bank funded projects for which tendering process is on.
Raina said that all these pump stations will have standby pump and generator backup so that the power cuts may not affect de-watering during the floods or heavy rains. He said four heavy vehicle fitted mobile pumps are also being procured through World Bank funded project and they will be sent to the areas where there is water logging.
Besides upgrading of de-watering pumps, there are six major drainage projects under process for Srinagar city under AMRUT scheme. Lal Chowk drainage system is coming up at a cost of Rs 10 Crore, Indra Nagar at the cost of Rs 20.15 Crore, Malbagh at the cost of Rs 8 Crore, Shalteng at the cost of Rs 54 Crore, Gangabugh at the cost of Rs 11 Crore and Palpora Eidgah at the cost of Rs 7 Crore.
The Commissioner SMC, Dr Shafqat Khan told Excelsior that tackling water-logging in Srinagar city is top priority of the SMC. He said that SMC is working for completing drainage projects on time so that the drainage system is fully functional and Srinagar city gets rid of water logging.
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