Water........wateR.........everywhere..........

While roads are being redone, regret not much attention is being paid to the drainage system. Drainage is an important feature in determining the ability of given pavement to withstand the effects of a downpour. While planning and executing the work the contractor shall take all adequate precautions to keep the road free from water. Even though many roads are of poor conditions due to different reasons, poor drainage is one of

them. Currently with the VAG-Metro work in progress, I notice between Kohinoor Hotel at J B Nagar and Marol Naka, there are not many egress points. Drainage - the disposal of excess water during monsoon - seems lacking. The storm water flow can be estimated by CIA where C is the Coefficient of runoff, I is the rainfall Intensity and A is the catchment Area. Storm water could be used as a source of recharge for ground water. Currently due to an absence of strategy storm water follows drains that are not specified for them or overflows the drains there by causing soil erosion. On the other hand, some of the storm water are stagnant in the drains there by becoming a breeding place for mosquitoes. This could result in increase of malaria and water related disease in the vicinity. All this is because the government has not understood the importance of drainage system and the role it plays in socioeconomic development. One of the first things to learn is that ‘water is your enemy,’ because there are so many ways that water can ruin or destroy home and property. One needs to pay attention to any and all drainage issues. And, it’s also crucial that drainage systems be properly maintained.    Proper surface and subsurface drainage to remove excess water in a safe and timely manner plays an important role in controlling soil erosion and water related diseases. Careful control and appropriate reuse of drainage water can help protect the environment and optimize the use of water resources.