BeMC to renovate five water bodies

The Berhmapur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) has chalked out a plan to renovate five water bodies of the city, an official said Thursday.

As part of a plan chalked out by BeMC at least five ponds in the Silk city will get a fresh lease of life.

Around Rs 36 crore will be spent in the reclamation of water bodies under the Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (OUIDF), the official said.

Newly elected Lok Sabha member from Berhampur, Chandra Sekhar Sahu has already laid the foundation of the reclamation of Bijipur Badabandha, one of the oldest water bodies in the city, on Tuesday.

Around Rs 75 lakh will be spent in the renovaton of Bijipur, said BeMC Commissioner Chakravarti Singh Rathore, adding that the work is likely to be completed in the next five months.

The renovation work includes grille-fencing, walkway, sitting arrangements and illumination, among others. Besides Bijipur, the renovation of Haradakhandi will be taken up soon at a cost of Rs 2 crore, while Rs 10 crore will be spent for Agula bandh and Rs 15 crore for the renovation of Bedha bandh, the BeMc commissioner said.

The ongoing renovation work of Ramlingeswar pond, spread over an area of eight acres, is expected to be completed in the next one month, he said.

A sum of Rs 8 crore is being spent in its first phase of work. "After completion of the first phase, the tender for the second phase will be floated. The cost of the second phase has been estimated at Rs 4 crore," Rathore added.

In Bedha-bandh, a silt treatment plant will be installed to arrest siltation.