The flooded Tata Motors plant site during last monsoon

Calcutta, Jan. 1: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government today decided to take “every step” before the onset of monsoon to prevent waterlogging in Tata Motors’ Singur site so that the Rs 1-lakh car can roll out without a hitch.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 170 crore, a statement issued by the government said after a meeting to review work on the plant.

The Tatas have been requested to bear a portion of the cost with the state.

Work on the car plant project was stalled for about a month last monsoon as the area got flooded. When the water receded, mounds of soil had to be dumped in the project area to level it. “We do not want a repeat of what happened last July,’’ industries minister Nirupam Sen said.

He was at the meeting along with representatives of Tata Motors and McKintosh Burn, the company to implement the project.

“It was decided that the Irrigation Department will undertake every step to put in place a water drainage system in Singur before the onset of monsoon next year,” the statement said.

Sen said the car project was on low land but the problem of flooding plagued the entire Singur block.

“We discussed the problem today. The irrigation department has drawn up a blueprint of how to drain out of water from the area.”

The Tatas plan to unveil a model of the small car at the auto expo in Delhi on January 10. Cars are slated to roll out the Singur plant by the middle of the year, a plan that could be derailed by the rain.

An industry department official said the plan was to dredge the Ghia and Kunti rivers and connect them to drain the rainwater into the Hooghly. The rivers have not been connected yet.

“The irrigation plan being discussed now is to complete the Ghia-Kunti project. If that is done, even the release of water by the Damodar Valley Corporation can be taken care of,’’ the official said.

The government’s statement said: “Work will include re-excavation of existing canals and water channels and installation of a heavy-duty pumping system.”