Govt appoints pvt firm to prepare drainage master plan

Guwahati: Assam govt has appointed a private firm, Haskoning DHV Consultancy Pvt Ltd, to prepare a “Geographic Information System-based detailed drainage master plan” for Guwahati to mitigate floods, housing and urban affairs minister Ashok Singhal recently said in the assembly.
The minister, while replying to a question raised by CPM MLA Manoranjan Talukdar on Friday, said the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and Guwahati Metropolitan development Authority (GMDA) have taken several initiatives to mitigate floods in the city.
He said a DPR (detailed project report) has been prepared for the revival of the Silsako beel and its sustainable conservation. He added that in compliance with the direction of the ministry of jal shakti, state govt will seek financial aid for implementation of the project under the Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies Scheme.
He further informed that GMDA has constructed several important drains and upgraded several existing ones in the city.
“Besides constructing drains, a water pump house has been set up near the Bonda sluice gate to discharge water from the Bonda Channel into the Brahmaputra River. Water pump houses have been set up at a few other locations as well and two teams of engineers have been constituted to look after the operations,” he added.
The minister said GMC has been carrying out desiltation of the five river channels — Basistha, Bahini, Bharalu, Mora Bharalu and Lakhimijan — along with 292 drains in the city as part of its efforts to mitigate floods.
The civic body has also been constructing seven silt traps in drains; of which four are in Noonmati, two on the Mother Teresa Road and one at Narengi.