Govt asks BDA, CDA to demolish illegal buildings blocking drainage

The Water Resources department has asked Bhubaneswar and Cuttack development authorities (BDA, CDA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department to identify unauthorised constructions and demolish them as they cause obstruction in passage of rain water to natural drains in the twin cities.

"It has come to my notice that a number of unauthorised constructions are going on across natural drain/nallah in the twin city by public/bulers. Sometimes plans are approved for private plots which are situated across natural nallah. It is necessary to identify such unauthorised construction and take necessary action to stop/demolish the construction to give clear passage for storm (rain) water," said Pradip Kumar Jena, secretary, water resources department in a letter to HUD, BDA and CDA.

Water logging in key areas of the twin city has become a regular site during every monsoon season, as unplanned constructions have choked clearance way of rainwater, causing flash flood situations in the cities. In 2013, heavy rains flooded national highway 5 that passes through the capital city and traffic had to be diverted to another route for smooth passage of vehicles. In the same year, Cuttack Municipality Corporation had to engage water pumps for clearances of the rainwater from the residential areas of the city.

Despite several protests by civil societies and activists, BDA and CDA did not take any steps to halt or raze the buildings that are situated near the natural drains. The two city development bodies have not even complied with Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)'s findings, which had pointed out several illegally constructed building in the twin cities.

The CAG report last year said, out of 19,846 proceedings registered against unauthorised or deviated constructions, including 437 high rise buildings, demolition orders were passed in 5,687 cases by the BDA during 1988-2012. However, in 4,025 cases, they were not executed even after five years from the date of passing of the orders.

In case of CDA, out of 136 unauthorised construction proceedings up to March 2012, orders for demolition for 73 cases were passed. But they were never executed.

The unauthorised constructions mentioned by the CAG report violated all rules, starting from deviating from approved construction plan to constructing the project without a proper water evacuation plan, etc.