The reason for the confidence of the civic authorities is the Rs 500-crore grant from the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).

With ample cash in hand, the civic authorities have already roped in global companies having the expertise in laying and repairing dilapidated sewerlines all over the world. Municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay, along with a team of civic engineers on Tuesday, discussed the method of repairing sewerlines in the worst affected areas with a Danish firm involved in repair and rehabili-Sarani, APC Road, AJC Bose Road, Chittaranjan Avenue, B B Ganguly Street are in urgent need of repair. The KMC drainage department has opted for trenchless method of laying and repairing of sewerlines to avoid largescale digging of the road. According to the KMC engineers, though the new method would be expensive, it would save the city's roads.

This apart, part of the funds sanctioned under the JNURM programme will be used to upgrade the drainage pumping stations and construct new pumpi ng stations, said a senior KMC official. KMC has 19 drainage pumping stations and 98 pumps to drain out rainwater. tation of sewerlines in Europe. The KMC engineers have also consulted British and Austrian firms for the purpose.

According to chief engineer Nilangshu Basu, brick sewerlines in areas like Raja Dinendra Road, Bidhan