Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) has developed a plan to revamp the Anandpuri drain, which runs through the heart of the city from Baba Chowk to Rajapur Pul on Boring Road. The plan includes the construction of a multi-lane road over the drain.

The proposed 3.1-km road is divided into two stretches: from Baba Chowk to the Atal Path culvert and from near Hanuman Temple on Kasturba Path to the Rajapur Pul drainage pumping station.

Engineers explained that the proposal had been submitted to the state urban development and housing department for administrative approval. Once approval is granted, the bidding process for the construction of the road will commence.

An engineer mentioned that on the first stretch, from Baba Chowk to the Atal Path culvert, a two-lane road with a proposed carriageway of 6 meters per lane and a 0.5-meter median would be constructed. On the second stretch, between Kasturba Path and the Rajapur Pul pumping station, the four-lane road would have a width of 20 meters. Currently, a 10-meter-wide two-lane road exists in this area, and the project aims to add two more lanes to improve traffic flow. Both stretches will be connected via Atal Path.

The estimated cost of the road and associated work is Rs 1.07 billion, with the project slated to be completed within two years. The work will include cleaning the existing drain, installing LED street lights, and adding road accessories, street furniture, and signage.

The Anandpuri drain is one of the nine major drainage lines in the city and connects key government administrative buildings, including the BUIDCO office, with various housing areas. It handles discharge from several areas, such as Baba Chowk, Patel Nagar, Atal Path, Patliputra Colony, Pani Tanki, Boring Road, North Sri Krishna Puri, Kasturba Path, Mainpura Digha Diara, and Rajapur Pul.

According to the detailed project report, a centralized drain structure will be created alongside the vehicular road. The report also stated that pre-cast manhole openings would be placed every 30 meters for cleaning and de-silting the drain. Due to its deteriorating condition, a box drain will be constructed to match its required capacity. Additionally, a 450-metre-long drain will be built from the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change office to the Nehru Nagar drain.

News source: Times of India