In order to prepare for the coming monsoon season the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has started cleaning the Rispana and Bindal riverbeds. The MCD has decided to undertake the cleaning in the current and next month. Mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ stated that the work is continuously in process which will likely complete before the monsoon.
Adding more in this Gama said, “We started a drive for cleaning both Rispana and Bindal on World Environment Day which was on June 5. Our workers are working to clean the area regularly. Some additional staff has also been arranged to clean it. Along with this our team also marked some of the big and small drains in the city which are also getting cleaned.”
It is pertinent to mention that MCD first decided to open a tender process for the cleaning of the Rispana and Bindal rivers. However, due to some reason, it failed to get passed after which the workers of the MCD were deployed to clean the riverbeds.
Elaborating on this the chief municipal health officer Dr Kailash Joshi said, “We have a team of workers which is regularly cleaning both the areas. Three JCBs along with other cleaning equipment have been assigned for this task. As monsoon season is close we have decided to continue cleaning of both the riverbeds till July end.”
It is pertinent to mention here that due to factors like encroachment, improper dumping of garbage and effluent, the riverbeds of the Rispana and Bindal rivers appear more like open sewage channels. During the rains, the garbage on the riverbeds is carried by the rainwater and ends up in the Ganga and the Rajaji national park.