Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has launched a large-scale pond restoration programme covering 74 water bodies across the city, combining mechanised cleaning with manual labour to remove weeds, floating waste, silt and other pollutants. The drive is intended to improve water quality while restoring the ecological character of the ponds ahead of the Kartik season.
The civic administration is tailoring the cleaning method to the condition of each water body, according to Priyabrata Behera, executive engineer in the BMC drainage division. Machines, nets and manual workers are being deployed in different combinations depending on the extent of silt deposition and weed growth, Behera said.
Work is nearing completion at several prominent ponds, including Sundarpada Pokhari, Baramunda Pond, Kapileswar Pokhari, Nua Pokhari and Tungi Pokhari. Restoration is also under way at the historic Bindu Sagar pond near Lingaraj Temple, one of the water bodies included in the city-wide exercise.
The programme goes beyond the removal of visible waste. Civic officials said the restoration model is designed to preserve the natural appearance and ecological function of the ponds instead of relying heavily on concrete structures. Embankments are to be developed using excavated soil rather than concrete flooring, while the use of iron grille will be kept to a minimum, an official associated with the project said.
The approach reflects a significant operational choice for urban water bodies. Cleaning ponds can improve their immediate appearance, but restoration also requires attention to the physical condition of the water body, its embankments and the ecological processes that support water quality. BMC has trained personnel in scientific pond-restoration methods, including techniques intended to improve water quality and preserve natural ecosystems.
The civic administration has not disclosed in the supplied report the total cost of the programme, the individual timelines for all 74 sites or the volume of silt and waste removed. The report also does not specify whether water-quality testing results will be published for each pond. Officials have, however, indicated that the health of individual water bodies is being assessed before restoration measures are undertaken.
The work has an immediate public-use dimension because the Kartik season is under way. BMC said the clean-up is expected to provide devotees with cleaner and safer water bodies, while the ecological restoration measures are intended to retain the ponds’ natural functions. Work at the identified ponds, including Bindu Sagar, is continuing under the civic administration’s rejuvenation programme.
