Chilli Pokhari lies in bad condition at Badagada in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 19: The Bhubaneswar Municipal has failed to renovate even one of the capital city’s 14 water bodies facing the threat of urbanisation and unauthorised encroachments.

Last year, the civic authorities had estimated a budget of Rs 5 crore for the financial year 2011-12 for reviving the water bodies.

According to the renovation plan, the proposal was to clean the ponds and restore these by removing garbage and weeds. Similarly, the plan also aims to evict illegal encroachments and erect boundary walls at some places. But, the work is progressing at a snail’s pace because of slow process of land clearance. Moreover, some of the work orders are yet to be released, further delaying the project.

“The work orders are yet to be released because of the code of conduct imposed for panchayat polls. At the same time, local residents are not willing to clear the encroached lands to facilitate the restoration,” said a senior official of the corporation.

Most of the water bodies, which are included in the project, have dried up. Besides, the task has become a difficult one because of piles of garbage dumped in the ponds.

Disappearance of water bodies in the city has also attributed to temperature rise and, with the summer around the corner, the residents are expecting a gruelling season ahead.

“Earlier, the ponds used to help in cooling the atmosphere around that area. But, with rapid urbanisation, these ponds disappeared from the city,” said Mohan Sahu, a 75-year-old resident of Patia.

However, the civic authorities, which have so far failed to carry out restoration of the 14 water bodies, have estimated a budget of nearly Rs 6 crore for the financial year 2012-13 for revival of another 31 water bodies in the city.

“Once the budget is approved, work will start for restoration of another 31 water bodies of the city,” said city engineer T.B.K. Shroff.

Engineering wing of the corporation had undertaken renovation of water bodies such as Santha Tulasi Sarobar (ward No. 4), Badei Tank (ward No. 5), Chua Pokhari at Ghatikia (ward No. 28), Bada Pokhari at Jagamara (ward No. 29), Talabani pond at Pokhariput (ward No. 30) in the first phase.

However, the civic body does not have the details of all the water bodies in the capital. Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said the restoration work had been accelerated in some areas. “Soon the restoration work will be over and revival of another 31 water bodies will be started,” said Jena.