PMC started cleaning 9 drains

Patna: The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has started cleaning and desilting the drains, manholes and catch-pits in the city as a part of its preparations for the pre-monsoon season to meet contingencies arising during the rainy period. The civic body has laid out a plan to clear drains in three phases -- pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon — to avoid waterlogging problem.
The PMC officials said the cleaning of nine big drains has started with the help of machineries and labourers.The big drains include Serpentine Nullah (7-km-long), Badshahi Paine (6.9km), Bakarganj Nullah (1.4km), Rajiv Nagar Nullah (5.4km), Anandpuri Nullah (4.6km), Mandiri Nullah (1.2km), Yogipur Nullah (4km) and Saidpur Nullah (5.4km).
Patna mayor Sita Sahu told TOI on Wednesday that desilting of small and medium drains, catch-pits and manholes, which requires manual work, would start from March 1. “We have set the target to complete the cleaning of drains in the pre-monsoon phase by May-end as the monsoon season is likely to begin from June-July. The total length of nine major drains is 33,662 metres and cleaning work through machines have already begun on these drains,” she said.
“Poclain machines (6), super-suction machines (2), JCB (75), tractors (29), haiwas (40), tipper silt (20) and skid- steer loader (6) have been pressed into cleaning work of drains. High-boom poclain machine, which is easier to dredge out the silt from drain will be hired for the cleaning task,” she said.
The municipal body has engaged 7,500 sanitation workers and labourers in drains cleaning while 25-30 extra workers will be hired for each ward to clean the city’s 14 mediums drains and 172 small ones, 40,373 manholes and 35656 catch-pits.
The urban development and housing department has also given instructions to all the municipal bodies to clean the main drains and small drains under the ‘Mission 100 days campaign’. The instruction was also given that the silt and waste should not be left near the drains after their cleaning.
“It should be ensured that as soon as the silt of the drain dries, it is properly transported to the dumping site. As far as possible, pipes should be used on the side of the road, so that there is no hindrance in vehicular movement. Ward-wise supervision of cleaning of drains should be done in the municipal bodies by the sanitary inspectors,” an official said.