Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation will shift the drains in Rajarhat to a network of an underground system, a senior official of the civic body said.
At present, areas in Rajarhat, Gopalpur, Arjunpur and Gopalpur have open drains and channels for both sewerage as well as draining out rainwater.
According to a senior official of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC), they have started preparing a detailed project report and will seek funds from the state government to shift the drainage lines underground.
A BMC engineer said in order to shift the lines underground they would use the network of existing drains and then dig at least six feet deep to lay the drainage pipes.
Once the pipes are laid they will then start construction of the gully pits and other allied infrastructure, including drainage pumping stations, to ensure that places don't get waterlogged during the rains.
Large swathes of Rajarhat get waterlogged after rains every year and the problem is compounded as the open drain network often gets choked because of which water from the sewers get mixed up during the rains.
Shyamalan Jana, a resident of Naryanpur, said that during every monsoon his entire locality gets waterlogged and the water takes a few days to recede. “We not only have to live with waterlogged streets but at times the entire area is reeking with a bad stench,” said Jana.
According to an official of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation's sewerage and drainage department, at least three new drainage pumping stations will also be set up.
“The entire project will take at least three years to complete once we get the funds from the state,” said the official.
According to the official, work is expected to begin at the end of the year and the projected budget is more than Rs 150 crore.
The civic body officials are also in talks with officials from urban local bodies that border Rajarhat so that the drainage network can be made more effective.
Most rainwater from these areas is drained into the Bagjola canal and the official said that they have also requested the state irritation department to dredge the canal so that water from these areas can be drained out faster.