Kolkata Municipal Corporation has started the desilting of Chetla Boat Canal, which drains out water from Kidderpore and parts of New Alipore and Chetla.
The work will take around two-and-a-half years to complete, said officials.
KMC engineers have repeatedly said heavily silted canals that cannot drain out water in quick pace is a reason behind waterlogging in pockets of Kolkata.
Chetla Boat Canal, about 3km in length, begins from Kidderpore in th west and ends under the Chetla bridge where it merges with the Tolly’s Nullah, said a KMC engineer. “The work will cost about Rs 5 crore,” he added.
Several parts of Kidderpore remain waterlogged during monsoon.
The KMC is also planning to set up a drainage pumping station near the point where the boat canal ends. It is preparing a detailed project report for the station. “We will lift the water from the Chetla Boat Canal and put it into the Tolly’s Nullah,” he added.
A drainage pumping station has high-powered pumps that help drain out water from an area faster than usual.
