A major eviction drive was undertaken on Monday in Science Park Basti despite heavy protest, where a box drain has been planned to divert excess water from drainage channel No. 4, which causes flooding in Acharya Vihar.
During the eviction drive 15 ACC shed houses and approximately a 100 feet boundary wall were demolished.
The State Government on July 18 approved the BMC Drainage Division’s proposal for the construction of the box cell drain connecting drainage channel No. 4 under the NH-16 to Regional Science Centre as the channel inside Acharya Vihar had caused flood-like situation during heavy rain.
It can be mentioned here that earlier the Cuttack Drainage Division of Water Resources Department had started the work of the box cell drain for a 577 metre stretch with a cost of over Rs 10 crore.
However, as the Water Resources Department later formed a Drainage Division for Bhubaneswar and more recently a Drainage Division was added to the BMC engineering wing, the BMC Drainage Division will now complete the remaining 377 metre of work of the remaining box cell drain. As the box cell drain’s course passes through the Science Park Basti, eviction was necessary to give way to the drain.
The cost estimation of the project is Rs 5.14 crore.