As Tamil Nadu remains inundated due to heavy rains, highlighting the problem of waterlogging in urban areas, States are coming forward to seek fund for construction of stormwater drains for discharging flood waters under Centrally-sponsored scheme, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
A senior official from the Urban Development Ministry said that Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha and Mizoram have taken the lead in this regard proposing to invest Rs242 crore on construction of storm water drains for discharging flood waters in 25 cities in these states under AMRUT action plans for 2015-16. The UD Ministry supervises the functioning of the AMRUT.
These 5 States account for 82 Atal Mission cities. Other mission cities would be covered in subsequent years.
The official said that the Kerala government, in the State Annual Action Plan for 2015-16 under AMRUT has proposed to spend Rs105 crore (18 per cent of the total outlay of Rs588 crore) on storm water drains in all the nine mission cities.
These are Kochi (Rs24 crore), Thiruvananthapuram (Rs18 crore), Thrissur (Rs15 crore) Guruvayoor (Rs13 crore), Kannur (Rs11 crore), Palakkad (Rs9 crore), Kozhikkode (Rs7 crore), Allapphuaza (Rs6 crore) and Kollam (Rs2 crore).
Madhya Pradesh will begin construction of storm water drains in 12 cities at a cost of Rs36 crore. These being in Hoshangabad at a cost of Rs6 crore, Ratlam (Rs5 crore), Damoha (Rs5 crore), Dewas(Rs4 crore), Satna(Rs4 crore), Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain and Rewa (Rs2 crore each), Shivpuri (Rs1.73 crore), Burhanpur (Rs1.67 crore) and Chindwara (Rs0.40 crore), the official added.
In Gujarat, storm water drain projects in Bhuj and Vadodara have been approved at a cost of Rs39 crore while similar works will be taken up in Puri in Odisha at an approved cost of Rs15 crore during the current financial year.
In Mizoram, Rs47 crore (64 per cent of total approved SAAP outlay of Rs73 crore for 2015-16) will be spent on construction of storm water drains. Under Atal Mission, construction of storm water drains has been prioritized after provision of basic infrastructure relating to water supply and sewerage connections, said the official.