BMC mulls master plan for efficient drainage system

Nearly two thirds of Bhopal doesn’t have a proper sewerage system. A significant portion of the city, especially the peripheral areas, has no sewage network. Most of the raw sewage or septic tank outflows are discharged into open drains that flow into the nearby watercourses or seep into the ground.

Given this scenario, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities are mulling to frame a master plan for efficient drainage system in the city. Under this master plan, the BMC will first review the status of the existing drainage system and then on the basis of that create a detailed futuristic master plan.

The BMC additional commissioner Kishore Kanyal confirmed to HT that in next two to three months, they would hire a consultant who would frame a master plan for the drainage system of the entire city. “Right now, the drainage system exists in 32% area of the city. We want to extend the network across the city and for that we need to have a proper master plan. Then we will take up the sewerage projects under JNNURM,” he said.

According to Bhopal City Development Plan, Bairagarh area has 16km sewer with two pumping stations and one 4.5 MLD capacity oxidation pond, Old Bhopal area has 24km sewer line with five pumping stations discharging sewage to Patra nallah and Sewerage Treatment Plant’s (STP) in Bhoj Wet Land Project, New Bhopal area has 108km sewer with six pumping stations and one 4.5 MLD capacity Oxidation Pond and 13.5 MLD STP and Bhoj Wetland Project has 61.7km sewer with 11 pumping stations and five STP’s of 58 MLD capacities.

There is an immediate need to provide a complete sewerage system to the city as most of the lakes are situated in the heart of city. Almost entire catchments of these lakes are occupied by the human settlements and receive untreated/raw sewage through number of sewage fed drains.

Septic tanks are the most common system for sewage disposal in the city. In the areas not served by the gravity sewer network, large section of population discharge wastewater into septic tanks, soak pits or open drains.