Bhubaneswar, Oct. 8: The long-standing demand of Nandan Vihar and Budhinallah residents for a solution to their drainage problems is set for fruition as development authority has decided to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the two areas.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority has invited an expert agency to prepare the drainage master plan, which is expected for completion next month. Once the master plan is ready, the drains will get a facelift by February.

The two areas, which are not under the jurisdiction of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, face severe drainage problems in the absence of a proper network.

Residents have long been demanding inclusion of their areas in the corporation domain in expectation of better civic infrastructure.

'Our area falls under the Kalarahanga gram panchayat. Both the panchayat and the urban development authority looks after the amenities,' said Nandan Vihar resident Mousam Panigrahy. He added that no efforts were visible to improve the infrastructure.

'We suffer severe drainage problems, which worsens during the rains. The roads go under water after a spell of rain. Sometimes, rainwater also enters into our houses. I hope the new plan will solve our problems,' said Panigrahi, a corporate employee.

Budhinallah residents face similar problems. 'The drainage system in our area is a mess. We can rarely see proper drains in our area and are forced to release wastewater from our homes into the fields. There is need for a proper drainage network,' said Sitanshu Hota, a local resident.

A development authority official said they were aware of the problems and making efforts to solve those.

'We are identifying the issues and making efforts to solve their problems. We plan to have a comprehensive drainage strategy ready for these areas,' said the official.

He said after the master plan was prepared, the development authority would sanction funds and start work on a priority basis. 'There are no plans to construct underground sewer lines, but periphery drains will be constructed initially and we will link these to the nearby drainage channels for proper flow of the water,' said the official.

The state government has already started the process of including Nandan Vihar into the civic body's limits before next year's urban local body election.

'We received requests from the residents and have already started the process to include their area into our boundary. Once included, we will be able to create quality civic infrastructure in the areas,' said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.