Waterlogging concerns along the arterial EM Bypass in The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at desilting catch pits dotting the thoroughfare.
The initiative follows recent instances of water accumulation subsequent to precipitation episodes, underscoring the imperative for pre-emptive measures to avert infrastructural inundation. A senior engineering official within the KMC hierarchy revealed that meticulous preparatory measures are underway to purge the catch pits of sedimentary obstructions, thereby ameliorating the drainage efficacy impending monsoonal downpours. Engineers have been tasked with surveying and quantifying the catch pits, colloquially known as gully pits, strewn along the length of the EM Bypass, constituting a pivotal phase of the remedial endeavour.
“Several stretches along the Bypass, primarily stretches of the service roads, were waterlogged during the rain last week. Stretches at Ajoynagar, near Ruby hospital, near the Avishikta housing complex and in front of Captain Bheri were flooded for long after it had stopped raining,” said the senior engineer. “Inspections have revealed that the catch pits in some of the places are silted and require cleaning.”
The cleansing operation is slated to be facilitated through the deployment of specialised gully pit emptier machinery, adept at expeditiously evacuating accumulated silt and detritus from the pit recesses. A recent field assessment conducted along the EM Bypass corroborated the exigency of such interventions, with a discernible prevalence of obstructive accumulations impeding unimpeded water flow through the catch pits, thereby exacerbating the vulnerability to waterlogging incidents.
It is pertinent to note that the custodial mantle of EM Bypass transitioned from the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority to the purview of KMC in November 2023. However, subsequent to this transfer of jurisdiction, comprehensive sanitation exercises targeting the subterranean conduits and catch pits have been conspicuously absent, as lamented by KMC engineers. A notable instance underscoring the ramifications of neglect pertains to the waterlogging predicament persisting near the confluence of EM Bypass and Dhapa Road, emblematic of systemic lacunae in pre-monsoon preparedness. Additionally, reports have surfaced regarding the compromised functionality of a crucial catch pit proximate to Captain Bheri, Chingrighata, impeding the requisite diversion of rainwater into the adjacent waterbody.
With the advent of the monsoon anticipated around June 10 in south Bengal, the intervening temporal window assumes critical significance, with KMC’s remedial initiatives poised to mitigate the impact of inclement weather patterns on the EM Bypass infrastructure. As sporadic precipitation events remain plausible within this interim phase, the expeditious execution of drainage augmentation measures assumes precedence, safeguarding against the spectre of recurrent waterlogging debacles.
“If we can start cleaning the catch pits immediately, some results will be felt during the monsoon. However, we have to take long-term measures to reduce waterlogging,” said the engineer.
