Kolkata: KMDA plans to harvest storm water on 5-km stretch of EM Bypass for recharging groundwater

Kolkata: The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), with the assistance of a Mumbai-based agency, is preparing a plan to harvest stormwater for recharging the underground water level on the five-km stretch of the EM Bypass from Ultadanga to Chingrighat in order to keep up with the state government's "Jol Dharo Jol Bharo" scheme to harvest rainwater, which could be used for artificially recharging the city's declining groundwater level.

The EM Bypass and its surrounding districts are the first to be considered for such a rainfall gathering and artificial groundwater recharge plan, according to KMDA officials.

“Presently, there is no storm water discharge point between the eastern drainage channel at Chingrighata and the circular canal at Ultadanga. The accumulated stormwater on this five-kilometre-long Bypass stretch is now drained out towards those canals through the drainage network system. The plan is to hold the stormwater and wasted surface water which accumulates on this stretch and to channelise it underground to recharge the groundwater,” said an official.

The stored stormwater would be captured and drained through special channels, according to officials. “The water will pass through a filter medium before it is channelised to the underground water at the level where it could be recharged. It will just be a reverse process of the way groundwater is pulled up doing filtering. Not only could the excess stormwater be properly utilised and discharged to prevent waterlogging, but the groundwater would also get recharged. The agency drawing up the plan is also coming up with suggestions for the overall upgrade of the drainage network system of Bypass,” said a KMDA official.