Bhubaneswar: The state housing and urban development department will put up large display boards here to provide information regarding the repair and maintenance status of drains and drainage channels.

The LED display boards will provide the latest status and the details will include length of the drains, their origin and confluence. It would also contain information about the number of drains and areas they pass through, details and schedule of their periodic cleaning.

The department has already installed a few of these boards at various key locations in the city to update people on water supply status. Through these initiatives, the department aims to provide information about various government services.

"The people need to know what they are getting - be it water, drain or other civic services - in urban areas. The government has come up with this mechanism to inform people about the status of various services. It is their right to know and we are doing it for their benefit," said an official.

At present, the city has 10 natural drainage channels and several peripheral drains that carry wastewater as well as rainwater to the nearby rivers. Each drainage channel carries gallons of water every day, but not many residents had any idea about it.

"I had no idea that the government is supplying more than the required amount of water to households. I got the information from the board installed near AG Square. Similarly, I don't know much about the drains. If the details were displayed, I would at least get to know the city's drainage system," said Patia resident Rakesh Moharana.

"The city has many information boards on air quality, water supply status and emergency services. The information about drains will keep them aware about what we do to maintain the service standards," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Housing and urban development department officials said the state's 111 urban local bodies would also get such display boards in the future.

"We have directed our officials to gather information and compile it and we will put it in the system and display those for the public," said another department official.