Kham river to finally have regulatory flood zone markers

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Kham river, which flows from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, will finally have blue and red lines as regulatory flood zone markers.A team of civic officials led by municipal commissioner G Sreekanth on Monday visited the river as a part of the proposed rejuvenation project and to check monsoon preparedness work, during which instructions were issued for marking such indicators at the earliest.During the visit, instructions were also issued to remove encroachments that have come up in and around the riverbed and prevent direct release of sewage into the river."While outlining the action plan for the river's transformation, particular emphasis was laid on scientific demarcation of the riverbed by marking blue and red lines," Sreekanth said.These lines on rivers are hazard mapping tools indicating potential flooding extents based on historic data.The commissioner also issued directives to complete the work of deepening, widening, and pitching the riverbed — spanning an area of approximately 6.5 km from Barapulla Gate to Harsul Lake, on a war-footing."It should be ensured that the river's flow remains unobstructed and no flood-like situation arises within the city. The necessary work will be executed by deploying two separate teams: one covering the stretch from Garam Pani to Barapulla Gate, and the other from Himayat Bagh to Barapulla Gate," the commissioner said.During the visit, civic authorities observed that illegal constructions outside the historic ramparts (fortification wall) and within the riverbed were narrowing the river's course, which is precisely why floodwaters enter residential homes during the monsoon. Taking a firm stance on the issue, the commissioner issued orders to the anti-encroachment department to immediately demolish all such illegal structures.During the inspection, Sreekanth also expressed strong displeasure over the dilapidated condition of the historic Barapulla Gate. He pointed out that the historic structure—once renowned for its twelve arches (Barapulla)has, due to encroachments, has effectively been reduced to merely ‘ten arches'.