Bhubaneswar: The municipal corporation has decided to conduct a rigorous survey of the wetlands, manmade or natural, in the city to take up their restoration work.

The decision was made in the backdrop of growing incidents of waterlogging in the city that was attributed by environmentalists and other experts to the loss of wetlands in various parts of the city due to rampant encroachment and random dumping of waste.

The civic authorities, after deliberating with each other on the plans, have conducted the first survey at Nayapalli Haza where it was found that a natural water body has shrunk to three acres from its original size of seven acres. Sources said construction activities have been done on the four acres.

Nayapalli reeled from severe waterlogging situation this monsoon when flash floods creates havoc in the locality. "Wetlands are very important for the environment. If Nayapalli Haza had retained its original size, it would have collected the excess water in heavy rain," said environmentalist Sailabala Padhi.

Deputy commissioner of the corporation Srimanta Mishra said they had started removing the encroachment made on Nayapalli Haza. He said: "Our enforcement squad went to the spot and demolished a few structures encroaching on the water body today (Monday). We will free the entire pond of encroachment."

Sources said a special plan for conservation of Nayapalli Haza would be prepared and the project would be taken up.

"After demolition of the illegal structures, we will restore the pond to its original size," said Mishra.

Similar attempts will also be made for other big and small natural water bodies such as fishery pond at Laxmisager that had an original size of 18.99 acres but now has shrunk to 12 acres and Sundarpada Haja that had an original size of 17.56 acres but is now 11 acres, said sources.

"There was a time when the city had more than 100 big and small water bodies. The number has shrunk to around 50 now because of rapid urbanisation. If the authorities do not take steps, not even a single pond would be left in the city," said Krishna Chandra Rath, a resident of Old Town.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said they had already taken up a project to restore as many as 14 natural ponds in the city and work on eight was almost complete.

"In the fresh survey, we will find out other vanished wetlands and will make attempts to restore all of those," said Jena.