Bhubaneswar: An environmental cell will ensure sustainable development practices in construction and land activities in the city.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) formed the cell to come up with solutions for problems such as waterlogging and urban flooding that it recently faced.

The problems had cropped up within the BDA jurisdiction due to unwanted urban growth in environmentally sensitive zones (ESZs).

The development authority has recently floated an advertisement to recruit professionals and experts to set up the environmental cell.

A BDA official said that the cell would be a multidisciplinary body with experts from various fields and expertise.

According to the advertisement, the cell will have three environmental planners, one expert on water conservation and management and one urban design expert.

"The comprehensive development plan (CDP) of Bhubaneswar has proposed ESZ of open space use zones, which are vulnerable and very prone to flooding. Development in these zones needs careful and judicious approach," said a BDA official.

"The BDA has introduced provisions for water sensitive urban design in its planning and building standards regulations, which has come into force in May. This regulation has provision for setting up the cell," he added.

The official said they realised the importance of the ESZ in the Nayapalli Haza, an old water tank restored recently. The area has been witnessing frequent flooding as the water body has shrunk and there was no space for discharge of excess storm water to pass through the adjoining drainage channel No. 10.