With just a few weeks left for the Durga Puja festivities to begin in the State capital, the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is taking various steps to ensure smooth celebrations around the city. From fixing defunct street lights, garbage collection and transportation services from the outskirts of the State capital, RMC is covering it all.

“Like every year we will be taking extra steps to ensure proper cleanliness and garbage collection during the festival season. A few puja pandal committees have also submitted the list for their requirements at our office. As many as 2300 cleanliness workers working with us will be involved in the special drive for the upcoming festival,” informed an RMC official.

The members of the various Durga Puja Committees give a written list of requirements to RMC on the basis of which ward supervisors allocate workers for garbage collection, sweeping the roads and ensuring cleanliness around the pandal. Separate dustbins for dry and wet waste will also be provided.

The official further added that safai karmis of the nigam stationed are at the office during the festival and are deployed from there in three shifts- 6 am  to 1 pm, 1 pm to 10 pm and from 10 pm to 6 am.

“A special drive to ensure cleanliness of the water bodies is also taken. In all the water bodies, a section of the body is marked and segregated specially for idol immersion known as kund . This was started a few years to ensure that the entire water body does not get dirty and also cleaning it becomes easier. A dedicated spot is marked using bamboos, ribbons and banners and we ensure to clean it within 48 hours,” added the official. The major water bodies include Bada Talab, Chadri Talab and Jail Talab.

The civic body has also started fixing defunct street lights across the State capital for pandal hoppers who step out at night. In all the major routes in the City, water tankers and mobile toilets will also be stationed while all the sulabh shauchalayas which can be used by paying are made free to the public during the Durga puja celebrations.

As per the requirements of the pandals, RMC will also be providing drinkable and non- drinkable water tankers. The civic body also provides stone dust free of cost to cover potholes in and around the pandal premises to prevent water from accumulating in these holes.

RMC also plans to operate special City buses for Durga puja revellers who visit Ranchi from nearby small towns and villages especially for women, children and senior citizens.