RMC garbage management fails monsoon test

Clogged and overflowing drains have punctuated a good many monsoons here in the past and this year has been not different.“Rain and drainage system problems go hand in hand in Ranchi. This year too, we have clogged drains overflowing on the streets in our locality. Our complaints to RMC regarding the matter have gone unheard by far. We got proper drains built near our houses on our own expenses and maintain them as much as possible,” said Chanchal Bhattacharya, renowned coach and resident of Old AG Colony.

To tackle the problem this year, formation of a Special Task Force has been ordered by Mayor Asha lakra during the last review meeting on Wednesday. The STF will be functional from July 15 after the drainage system clearing drive is over as the manpower involved in it is to be employed in the STF, informed a RMC source.

“We have got the required manpower, equipment and vehicles for the STF already. They will be deputed across the city in four zones in two shifts, 6:00-11:30 a.m. and 3:00-6:30 p.m. We will be assigning the duty of ‘Halla Gadi’ to a car, which will patrol the city looking for and fining littering citizens,” said RMC Health Officer Dr. Ajay Kumar Manjhi.

He added, “We have pinpointed and classified certain regions on the priority basis in A-grade and B-grade. The location under the former category will be given immediate attention and those in the latter will be dealt with within a week. Zone in-charges and the supervisors will be directing the cleaning staff in this matter.”

Such efforts have been made in the past, but with limited or short-lived effectiveness. The refuse choking the drains is not disposed of timely and goes back to where it started from. But this time, the STF will be dealing with the issue properly, Manjhi assured. He said that the garbage shoveled out of the drains will be picked up and dumped within two days so that it doesn’t clog the drainage system again.

“The denizens of the city can now also register their complaints regarding cleanliness in the city. We have set up a toll-free number (1800-345-6530) where people can call and have the issue registered. Based on the zone and wards it comes from, we will send our cleaners to sort out the matter as soon as possible,” Manjhi said.

This initiative seems to have given hope to the residents of Ranchi, but they are still not putting much stock in the claims of RMC to solve the problem of cleanliness, given the state of its other initiatives regarding the issue.Chanchal Bhattacharya said, “The door-to-door trash collection programme by RMC is irregular at its best. Those responsible for collecting the garbage from our homes are absent 3-4 days a week. This STF may succeed in fulfilling our hopes but I am still not expecting much.”