In view of the threat of water logging and flood during the monsoon, the East Singhbhum district administration has issued directives for massive cleaning of drains across the city and its outskirts by June.
The directives, which were issued yesterday evening, asked the local urban bodies and the corporate houses to clean the drains and, if necessary, also carry out dredging by June first week. East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amit Kumar said that they have asked the urban bodies and the respective corporate to ensure that the drains are cleaned by June first week. They will also be holding a pre-monsoon meeting in June first week to assess if the directive has been complied with or not.
The directive has made Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC), Mango Notified Area Committee (MNAC) and Jugsalai municipalities to hire private contractors to start cleaning of drains falling under their command areas.
While JNAC has written letter to Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Jusco and IS&WP limited to carry out cleaning of around 18 big drains, flowing in JNAC command areas, but carrying effluents of the corporate houses. The city has nearly 40 big drains out of which 15 drains have effluents of companies passing through it. There are nearly 150 small drains in different localities of the city.
The DC directed the officials of various departments to carry out cleanliness of various localities, culverts, drains and other parts of the city. The DC has ordered that the low-lying areas situated close to the Swarnarekha and Kharkai rivers should be earmarked so that preventive action may be taken in case of heavy rains and flooding of such areas.
“We have been asked to take immediate preventive measures or face the music from the administration. Every year Monsoon rains coupled with hailstorm create havoc in the city with drains overflowing leading to water clogging,” said an official. “We have received order and will start cleaning of the drains through the private contractors. While letters have been written to senior officials of Tata Steel, Jusco, Tata Motors, IS&WP, Tinplate Company of India limited, Tata Power, TRF limited and Tata Bluescope Steel limited to clean the nullahs carrying their effluents,” said an official. The JNAC is entrusted with upkeep of civic amenities in urban slums outside Tata Steel command area for a populace of over 5 lakhs. JNAC has 70 cleaning staff and take on ad hoc basis 20 to step up the cleaning of small drains.