Multiple hurdles have forced the city’s first waterway project on the stormwater drains of Koramangala Valley, which empties into the Bellandur Lake, to complete only by August 15.
“It's a first-of-its-kind project and a number of civic agencies are involved. So, it’s taking longer (time) to finish. Though it was due to be completed in March, we have given an extension of five months and are hoping to complete it by August,” said B S Prahlad, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief engineer in-charge of the project.
Engineers working on the project said that clearing encroachments and stopping entry of sewage into the drains are major challenges. "Nearly 20,000 square feet of the stormwater-drain area was encroached upon. We have removed a majority of the encroachments. But many more are yet to be removed,” an engineer said, adding that nearly 80 toilets built on the drains were cleared only recently.
The civic body succeeded in arresting only 90% of the sewage entering the drains. “The project’s success depends on making the water sewage-free. We are working with the BWSSB to arrest the sewage entering the drains,” the engineer said.
Officials overseeing the project said they may not be able to meet the August deadline since the work on Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) started only recently. "The land to set up an STP was sanctioned only about two months ago and we need at least 10 months to get the STP up and running," an engineer said.
On the brighter side, work on the 300-metre gateway near the Shanthinagar bus station is getting closer to completion and is expected to be ready within a month. The BBMP is spending Rs 169 crore on the project.
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