A plan to sharply increase the drainage capacity of the Palmer Bridge drainage pumping station, which drains out rainwater from north and central Kolkata, is being prepared by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), an official said on Wednesday.
Mayor Firhad Hakim visited the station on Wednesday to discuss the capacity augmentation plan.
The Palmer Bridge Drainage Pumping Station can drain out water at the rate of 720 cubic foot per second. The KMC plans to increase the capacity by 900 cubic foot per second, said the official.
“There are four pumps now. Three of them can be used together, and the other is usually on standby. We are planning to instal between six and eight pumps. The capacity of the new pumps will be less than the existing ones, but together they will increase the capacity of the pumping station by more than two times,” said the official.
The pumping station plays an important role in Kolkata’s drainage system. Rainwater from areas north of Shyambazar to Moulali, along APC Road, is drained out through this station. “Rainwater from areas along Chittaranjan Avenue, Esplanade, Mahatma Gandhi Road, SN Banerjee Road, Elgin Road and Elliot Road is also drained out through this station,” said the official.
There is some vacant space inside the station, where the KMC wants to build two more pumping stations.
The function of a drainage pumping station is to suck water from sewer lines with increased force, by using high-powered pumps, and drain them into canals, which take the bulk of Kolkata’s rainwater to the Bidyadhari river to the city’s east.
More pumps mean the water can be sucked with greater force, which in turn will clear the sewer lines faster.
The KMC plans to start construction by May or June, if the project plan is approved and funds are available.
The work could take around 18 months, said the official.
Two held for murder
Two men were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly murdering their friend while drinking in an under-construction building at Sulanguri in Rajarhat.
Simul Biswas was found lying in the building with head injuries on Sunday. He died at RG Kar Hospital on Tuesday.
Mithun Das and Veeru Mondal were arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by Simul’s family members. The duo have been remanded in police custody.
A staff reporter
