Residents of Metiabruz, Topsia and Tangra will suffer less waterlogging from next monsoon, says the civic body, which has taken up a Rs 180-crore scheme to revamp the drainage network in these areas.

Work, under the Calcutta Environment Improvement Scheme, will start in a few months and end by 2010.

Officials in the sewerage and drainage department of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation said the scheme will cover areas where waterlogging can be minimised “through technical intervention and proper upkeep of the conduit network”.

To start with, the underground drains in these areas will be dredged, the diameter of the sewers will be increased, manholes will be desilted and new manholes dug up.

“We will focus mainly on the day-to-day drainage problems that have an impact on public health,” said Siddharth Tantia, vice-president (corporate planning) of Tantia Constructions Limited, which has been awarded the contract to execute the project.

“Our work will include laying of sewage pipes with a diameter ranging from 200 mm to 2,400 mm. The pipes will be linked with the drainage conduits coming out of each house in these areas,” he added.

The firm has undertaken a similar project in Behala, Naktala and Cossipore.

“The projects will ease the drainage and sewerage problems to a large extent. Once the drainage network is revamped, we will be in a position to chalk out plans for a permanent solution to the problem,” said mayoral council member (sewerage and drainage) Farzana Chowdhury.