Bhubaneswar, June 14: Indiscriminate dumping of soil threatens to clog the natural drainage channel No. 9 along NH-5 near Dumduma.

While construction of a housing complex has already squeezed the course of the drainage channel, local residents allege that dumping of soil excavated from the nearby areas would obstruct the flow of the channel if the authorities concerned do not take immediate steps to save it.

Of the 10 natural drainage channels in the city, the channel No. 9, which originates from a culvert on NH-5 near Ainginia, finally meets channel No. 8 at Pokhariput. It carries rainwater from Khandagiri and adjacent areas and travels a distance of 4.24km.

However, the 14.83-metre wide natural drainage channel shown on the comprehensive development plan (CDP) of the city developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, has been reduced to two to three metres at many places. On the Dumduma-Pokhariput stretch, it comes under the threat of serious encroachment due to unplanned real estate development.

Councillor of ward No. 60 (Dumduma) Kartik Sundaray said: “In the past, the channel has experienced serious waterlogging problems in the Ainginia area as people were blocking the flow of the channel. The then municipal commissioner had to intervene to clear the blockade. But as the capital has been witnessing a construction boom, the channel suffers severely due to encroachment after passing through NH-5.’’

Already, the entire catchment of the channel has been encroached by an upcoming apartment complex. During its flow towards downstream, almost all catchment areas have been encroached upon.

“So, the recent dumping of excavated soil in the rest of the bed of the drainage channel near NH-5 will actually kill the channel. It might flood the entire area and even the highway, apart from affecting the nearby apartment complexes in case of heavy rains. The civic authorities should act immediately to save the channel. I have even written to Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) in this regard,’’ he added.

Dwarika Prasad Das, president of Retired Employees’ Association, Dumduma, said: “The condition of the drains should be monitored by the BMC officials. While the CDP shows its width as 14.83 metre, the civic authority should do something to maintain that width.’’

“We hope the civic authorities would take immediate steps to save the natural drainage channel. They have already allowed the people living by the sides of the channel to encroach it. As a result, flooding in the low-lying areas has become a regular phenomenon. Now, before the regular rains start in the monsoon this year, they should act immediately to ensure a smooth passage of water in the channel,’’ added Ranjan Kumar Routray, secretary, Dumduma Durga Puja Committee.

Deputy municipal commissioner Priyadarshi Mohapatra said: “Though the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, 2003, empowers the BMC to act against any obstruction on the roads and drains, the Act does not cover the natural drainage channels and it comes under the purview of the Drainage Division, which looks after the renovation work of the 10 channels in the city. The division was formed in the 1980s to look into the smooth passage of rainwater as the channels were formed keeping in mind the contour of the cityscape.”