In view of the large-scale encroachments of water bodies and river drainage channels in the urban centres in Odisha for construction of houses and high-rise buildings, the Union Ministry of Water Resources has warned the State Government of its serious consequences.
In fact, the way several water bodies and natural drainage systems are encroached for building houses in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, which are bound by the Mahanadi system reminds one of the grim situation experienced in last two years in Chennai and Srinagar.
While in Cuttack hundreds of big ponds have been encroached and high-rise buildings have come up, in Bhubaneswar high-rise buildings are coming up on low-lying areas of the rivers Kuakhai and Daya with scant regard for the law that governs flood plains of river systems.
Union Ministry of Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Secretary Shashi Sekhar has written to the State Government citing the recent havocs created by devastating floods in cities of Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir.
Sekhar has said the disastrous tragedy struck low-lying areas of the Chennai metropolis when the coastal areas of northern Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall on November 15-21, November 30 and December 2 last year in two phases.
Chennai was worst affected as its natural drainage and water bodies were encroached upon by buildings. Due to lack of flood zone planning and large-scale settlements in low-lying areas, the city faced widespread damages of life and property.
Similarly, in September 2014, J&Ks cities, including Srinagar, experienced devastating floods.
So, the Union Ministry has urged the Odisha Government to ask the Urban local Bodies to ensure that planning of urban settlements should conform to the basic laws of flood plains of river systems so that loss of life and property is avoided in such eventualities.
Accordingly, the State Government has been asked to adopt Flood Plain Zoning and make it part and parcel of their planning norms. Else, repetitive havocs caused due to overtopping of riverbanks during floods or flood-like situation would continue to haunt everyone alike, the Centre has warned.