Katihar civic body plans Rs 193-crore drainage system

KATIHAR: With the existing drainage system becoming old and not having the capacity to carry all the water during monsoon, the Katihar civic body has geared up to get a new drainage system for the town.
Municipal commissioner Minendra Kumar said, “The town has a very old drainage system, which is unable to bear the load of drainwater during rainy season. Drainwater often overtops town roads causing immense problem to commuters.A new water drainage system with an outlay of Rs193 crore has been envisaged to reduce large-scale flooding of roads during monsoon. A detailed project report (DPR) has been sent to the state government for approval. Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) will be the implementing agency and work on the project is expected to start by February-March this year.”
Keshari, a dealer in farm machinery on MG Road said, “The town lacks proper drainage and sewerage lines. During the rainy season, water is discharged or gets accumulated in a huge ditch in the New Market area of the town.”
When asked about the routine cleaning of drains by municipal workers, he said they do it on regular basis. However, during the rainy season, the situation becomes miserable for traders.
A betel shop owner Mehfoz Alam said “we face waterlogging for at least four to five days during the rainy season. The waterlogged MG Road badly hits our business.”
Atul, a bookstore owner on MG Road, said, “The standard of sanitization work has deteriorated and I don’t see any improvement in the civic body’functioning.”