Assignment 1.

1 | Planning Project I | AP6171 | 2021-‘22

Cognitive
Assessment of
Local Planning
Issues: Ward No.
12,
Bihdhannagar
Municipal
Corporation,
West Bengal

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Introduction –
The issue of waterlogging even after a short spell of rainfall is not a new thing for
the residents of Kolkata Metropolitan Area. Several parts of New Town, Salt Lake,
Sector V, Dum Dum & Lake Town are often inundated with rainwater whenever these
areas receive a considerably high intensity of rainfall even when it happens for a very
short duration.
The condition of ward no. 12 of Bidhannagar Municipal
Corporation in no way is depicting any different story. However, as part of assignment
1.1, “Cognitive Assessment of Local Planning Issues”, I would like to highlight the
issue of waterlogging of this ward which has been a perpetual problem in recent past.

Location and Importance –

The ward no. 12 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation is located near Chinar Park
region of Rajarhat Newtown which is indicated in the map. This area connects Biswa
Bangla Sarani with Rajarhat Main Road. Since these two roads are mostly congested
all the time, many people like to commute using the local streets of this ward and try to
access the Biswa Bangla Sarani. For your information, this road is connecting the New
Town Rajarhat to the Airport. This place is also densely populated and comprises a
street market area along the Jhowtala road.

….courtesy: google

LEGEND:
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BLACK BOUNDARY – border of ward no. 12;
RED BOUNDARY – border of the worst affected area under word no. 12

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
 This area occasionally gets inundated like this even when there is some short
spell of rainfall or no rainfall-

drains are teetering on the brink of inundation-a complete breakdown of the

sewerage system

(no rainfall, partly cloudy, 35deg C, captured on 8 SEPT 2021 at 2 PM)

 The entire situation gets even more escalated, when it receives a persistent
rainfall of moderate to high intensity like this –

Situation after a downpour at around 4 pm in July 16, 2021

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  Both commuters and residents are finding it really difficult to cope up with a
situation like this –

Knee-deep water everywhere

 Water enters into the basements and ground floors of the houses and sometimes
seeps into the water reservoir and thus making it unfit for drinking and other
household activities.

 Water does not get easily drained out. Sometimes it requires more than 72 hrs to
remove the water from the locality but that is also impossible for some of the low
lying locations of the locality.

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 Stagnated water even after 48 hrs of the end of rainfall – a dire strait

 Accumulated water from other adjacent wards is pumped into this ward which
has raised many questions and grievances against the municipal authorities.
 Nuisance due to mosquitos and spreading of disease like dengue, malaria etc.

DISSECTION OF THE ISSUE-

 This place was used to be a village nearly about three and half decades ago but
with the starting of formation of Rajarhat Newtown, this area was also started
getting populated with the passage of time and finally turned into an urban area
with umpteen number of multistoried buildings. But this had happened without
paying any attention to the infrastructure. Roads have been changed but the
drains were constructed 2 decades ago and those narrow and shallow drains are
not on par with the current requirements which has finally resulted in the design
failure of the sewerage system. Even the amalgamation of Rajarhat Gopalpur
Municipality (erstwhile municipality of this area) and Bidhannagar Munipality
didn’t help too much but the situation has further aggravated .

 According to a news article, published in The Telegraph, the construction of

metro railway in the vicinity of this area has choked many drains and resulted in
frequent inundation even when no rainfall happens .
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  We all love to keep our homes clean and beautiful no doubt. Do we equally strive
to keep our surroundings clean? It is a common sight in almost all cities and
towns in India of people throwing garbage in the road or neighborhood. Who is
responsible for sowing the seeds of civic sense? Such activities are clogging the
drains and thus cutting the flowability of such drains. If stringent action is not
taken, situation will get bad to worse.

Plastic waste blocking the drains at few parts

 Lack of regular cleaning & maintenance of underground sewers, open and covered
drains.
 Frequent cutting of roads for utility transmission.
 Illegal construction of buildings.

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