Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) in a joint initiative have decided to restore, repair, and renovate the traditional water bodies across the city to increase the storage capacity and groundwater table.
The city is home to as many as 44 traditional water bodies and tanks. Measures are already underway to rejuvenate the water bodies. Steps for removal of encroachments and desilting of tanks are being undertaken in a phased manner, said BMC Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Singh.
All of the 44 tanks are rain-fed tanks and its renovation will improve groundwater table. The de-silting of the ponds will be carried out to ensure better depth or water level in the ponds.
“There is the need for community participation in the restoration and renovation of the traditional water bodies as it will add to the environmental and natural beauty of State’s largest urban conglomerate”, said BMC Deputy Commissioner (land), Kamaljit Das.
It’s pertinent to note here that the State Capital with its porous lateritic soil was having several water bodies and numerous temples. With rapid urbanisation and growth of the concrete structures, however, many of the age-old water bodies have disappeared with concrete jungle replacing the tanks and ponds.
If experts are to be believed, the disappearance of the water bodies is one of the potential factors for rising summer heat in the Capital City. The water bodies’ renovation will definitely provide a soothing natural ambience to the fast-growing city, they observed.