The state government will ask the Centre for Rs 1,500 crore to prevent waterlogging in Calcutta and Rs 110 crore to tackle the problem in Howrah and on the northern fringes, finance minister Asim Dasgupta said on Monday.

The money will be used to implement a master plan to revamp Calcutta’s drainage and sewage system.

“If the Centre can allot money for Mumbai to overcome its waterlogging woes, it should sanction funds for Calcutta also. We have learnt our lesson, the Centre should also learn its own,” said Dasgupta.

The “special” aid will be sought in addition to funds under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The decision was taken in a meeting at Writers’ Buildings on Monday.

Urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya, mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, Howrah mayor Gopal Mukherjee, chief secretary Amit Kiron Deb, chairmen of the north and south Dum Dum municipalities, Calcutta Municipal Corporation commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay and officials from the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority were present at the meeting.

Mayor Bhattacharyya and the municipal commissioner submitted the master plan to Dasgupta and the urban development minister.

The mayor urged the finance minister for an allocation of Rs 81.5 crore, out of the Rs 1,500 crore, to take up six schemes immediately.

Of the Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 230 crore will be spent on short-term measures for the city and its adjoining areas. For Howrah and the northern fringes, Rs 20 crore will be used for short-term measures.

In Calcutta, the short-term measures will tackle waterlogging on APC Road, Rashbehari Avenue, Colootola Street and other roads.

Dutch experts J. Block and J.H.C. Butter prepared the plan. It was drawn up after consulting a draft plan prepared by Consulting Engineering Services (CES), a project report prepared by US consultant Weston International and STUP consultants and other scheme-specific reports.

According to the municipal commissioner, Calcutta’s sewer network stretches up to the Bay of Bengal. The sewage has to travel over 60 km from a household to reach the Bay.

The first leg of the journey, about 10 km, is from the household to the pumping station through a network of underground pipes of different diameters. The run-off water is then pumped out to an outflow channel.

After flowing down about five km, it reaches the Bantala lockgates. From there, the sewage travels another 22 km to reach Kultigang at Ghusighata. In the final leg, the run-off has to flow 25 km to the Bay.

Any blockage in this 60-km route from a household to the Bay can cause waterlogging in the city after a heavy shower, said Alapan Bandyopadhyay.