The Hindu 09.02.2010
Encroachments on drains: GHMC to face more trouble
| Drains will have to be widened to extent of flooding expected once every 5-8 years |
Drains may have to be widened by at least 40%, says senior GHMC engineer
Estimates being made for works likely to cost 120 crore for 40 km length of drains
HYDERABAD: The GHMC is going to face more trouble with regard to encroachments on stormwater drains as per the latest formula worked out to re-model them to arrest flooding in the capital.
To once again give a push to repair the stormwater drains or ‘nalas’, Commissioner Sameer Sharma and his engineering wing held detailed discussions with three technical consultants to finalise the ‘flood return periods’ for primary, secondary and tertiary drains to take up works.
It was decided to have a flood return period of 50 years for the primary nalas of Murkinala, Hussainsagar surplus nala, Kukatpally/Begumpet nala and Balkapur nala while it’s going to be a five-year period for secondary and tertiary drains.
Roughly, this means that the drains will have to be widened to an extent of flooding expected once every eight years for the main ones and five years for others. “We will have to widen drains widths by at least 40 per cent more compared to the present levels,” admitted a senior engineer.
The complex calculations were arrived at following discussions with Kirloskar Consultants which studied the main drains only after the August 2000 deluge, Voyants Solutions which prepared the master plan for entire stormwater drain network and NECC Consultants, said Engineering-in-Chief P. Panduranga Rao.
Dr. Rao said estimates were being prepared for works estimated to cost Rs. 120 crore for about 40 km length of drains divided into four special zones for all the three kinds of drains.
The Town Planning wing will be enumerating the number of encroachments “whether they will be more or less” as per the latest figures.
Only solution
But, clearly encroachments will only increase from the current 13,500 across all three kinds of drains and 1,375 among the primary drains alone.
Just 373 encroachments were removed and Rs. 34.67 crore spent for works tuning to 31.73 km length till date while fencing work has been delayed.
“If inundations are to be prevented in the capital, this is the only solution as we cannot deepen channels throughout.
“We are going to cement the earth to increase water flow at select places.
However, there is no doubt relief and rehabilitation efforts have to be taken up seriously,” said a senior engineer.
