Monsoon arrives but Rajnala project in Hubballi still incomplete

It is nearly one year after the flood-like situation was caused due to overflowing Rajnala in Hubballi. But, the much talked about development of this nala into a green mobility corridor under 'Smart City' project is yet to materialise, and the plan in initial stage is now about developing just one km stretch out of 8.5 km nala.

Under the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate & Sustain (CITIIS), the Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited (HDSCL) will execute this 8.5 km nala development project at a cost of Rs 130 crore, which also includes retention walls, construction of walking track, bicycle track, and even open gym wherever possible.

However at present, preparations are still being made to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) by consultants, to develop green mobility corridor for only one km stretch from Unkal Lake waste-weir, as a model one, where sufficient space is available.

"As this is a very unique project in the entire country, the process to prepare the DPR has been delayed due to fixing the consultant, technical procedures to get approvals, and the lockdown. Now, the DPR for one km stretch will be prepared in next three months, and around Rs 20 crore tender would be called after the DPR gets approval from the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs," said HDSCL special officer S H Naregal.

"Bathymetric survey has already been conducted at Unkal Lake to study underwater depth and volume of water when it overflows, to properly study the construction requirement of the Nala," he added.

The Plan

As per the plan, 10 to 12 metre of area will be the water flowing space, along with retention walls on both sides. On the banks, a walking track and bicycle track will be developed, while open gyms and butterfly parks will be set up wherever space is available.

For a full-fledged green mobility corridor, 21 metre width should be available. The total project to complete 8.5 km from Unkal Lake to Gabbur may take nearly three years, Naregal said.

Margin area problem

According to Hubballi-Dharwad Manahagara Palike Commissioner (HDMP) Commissioner Suresh Itnal, the margin area of Rajnala is not uniform, and it has a lot of variations.

Around 153 buildings adjacent to the nala mainly at Dhobighat, Pandurang Colony, and Channapet have to be shifted. The width of the nala also varies from place to place. To prevent overflowing of the nala this time, the nala is being desilted and choked gutters are being cleared, he said, adding that water hyacinth at Unkal Lake would be removed shortly.

However, a few bridges across the Rajnala which were washed away last year are not yet completely constructed, and residents adjacent to the nala fear that previous year's flood-like situation may return if the rainfall this time too is heavy.