Officials demarcate land in Acharya Vihar on Monday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, May 5: The land demarcation process to facilitate diversion of the natural drainage channel No. 4 began today. The channel has been causing artificial floods in Acharya Vihar.

During a joint grievance redress session on March 31, members of Acharya Vihar Parishad approached the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority to speed up the drainage channel revival plan.

On March 12, Orissa High Court had vacated stay in a case related to the channel, which was pending since 2006.

A joint land demarcation team comprising officials of the municipal corporation, the development authority, general administration department and the drainage division today visited the area behind Tirumala Titupati Devasthanam, where the drainage channel will be diverted.

“The drainage channel’s original course was a narrow basin situated in a private land. During heavy rain, this was causing serious floods in the area and this is why the diversion was proposed in the comprehensive development plan (CDP).

“However, work was stalled due to the court case. With the court vacating the case, the process for the diversion plan started today,” said corporation’s assistant commissioner (recovery) Sumita Behera.

Officials of the combined team today studied land details of five of the eight major plots, which will be affected by the drainage diversion plan. A number of local residents have encroached on government land and constructed extension of their houses and gardens. The drain diversion will be located in those plots.

“Tomorrow, the team will survey the three remaining plots. After the demarcation process, we will go for eviction if needed and then the drainage division will take up the construction work,” Behera said.

Secretary of Acharya Vihar Parishad Bhagabat Prasad Das said: “The city administration has taken the right step and initiated the land demarcation work after our grievance was registered. We hope that once the land is identified, the drainage division will be able to complete the work before the monsoon begins.”

Enforcement officials of the Bhubaneswar municipal corporation said that the city administration was well aware of the artificial flood caused by drainage channel No. 4 and the diversion plan was on the priority list.

“We will ensure that the demarcation process is completed by tomorrow,” Behera said.

Advocate Prabir Das, who stays near Saheed Nagar police station on the channel’s downstream, said: “Beyond the Acharya Vihar stretch of the drainage channel, many places are blocked with debris, encroachment and broken embankments. The authorities should take immediate steps to clear them.”