KMC to execute overhaul of BB Ganguly Street brick sewer

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has approved a proposal to carry out an overhaul of the British-era brick sewer at BB Ganguly Street in central Kolkata at a cost of Rs 38.30 crore approximately.

According to KMC, many large diameter sewers were built in Kolkata during the 1870s.However, over the past century they have deteriorated due to age, change in land-use patterns and failure of limited past measures to upgrade them.

The BB Ganguly brick sewer of the urban system plays a vital role to dispose of dry weather flow and storm water flow of important administrative and economic zones of Kolkata such as Lalbazar, Bowbazar, Kolay Market etc.

The brick sewer, running from BBD Bag to APC Road, resembles the shape of an egg. It carries combined sewage flow of different wards of Borough-V of the KMC and discharges it in APC brick sewer which further discharges it to Palmer Bridge drainage

pumping station. Drainage department officials are of the opinion that the problem of waterlogging can be addressed with desiltation of the brick sewer. The hydraulic capacity of the BB Ganguly Street brick sewer has reduced gradually due to reduction of effective cross sectional area of brick sewer and accumulation and subsequent solidification of silt over the years. Moreover, there have been damages to the sewer during construction of metro tunnels.

The KMC intends to execute a thorough refurbishment through desilting and by providing glass reinforced plastic (GRP) lining to the sewer. This, according to KMC, will result in major increase of the hydraulic capacity of the sewer as well as mitigate the water logging problem in wards 43, 44, 48, 49 and 50 under Borough V, and wards 47 and 51 under Borough VI. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 38,30,54,835. The fund is to be provided by the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UD&MA) department.