Underground drainage system to be ready soon

A long awaited underground drainage system, a new initiative to get rid of the Pilgrim City’s sanitation and sewerage woes, will be completed soon. All the 10 zones will be connected by the drainage.

As per a notice given by the Puri Municipality, the sewerage work of connecting drainage pipes from residence to the main chamber in three zones has been completed and is ready to give connections to each household in a phased manner.

In the first phase, connection will be given in the area near Acharya Harihar Chowk to new light house, part of Gopala Ballava Road, Hotel Renuka lane, Shankaracharya Mutt lane, Kamakhya Road, part of Goudabat Sahi, Pranaba Marga and Swargadwara Housing Board Colony.

In the second phase, houses situated in area in Baseli Sahi,Parbatipur Chowk, Nagamath lane, Sitala Pinda Sahi, Para Nolia Sahi, Damoder Road,Jibarama Palli,Odia Matha, Mishra Sahi to Mangalaghat Road will be connected.

However, drain pipes will also be connected in portion of Markandeswara Sahi, Gokha Sahi, Mishra Sahi Gosala Road and a part of Puri Brahamagiraod. Accordingly, owners of the houses have been instructed to apply to Puri Municipality for sewerage connection in the prescribed form within 30 days, the notice said.

The sewerage work was undertaken in 2003 by the State Sewerage Board at a project cost of about `50 crore.  Accordingly, the whole township was divided into 10 zones and the work was entrusted to various construction companies, such as l&T, Voltas, RJD Constructions, Ramco and VTeck.

The work started in 2004 and the original project was to be completed within three years. The project could not be completed in time. Meanwhile, the original project cost has increased by four times.