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| PMC executive officer Sheshank Sinha monitors work at Jakkanpur. Picture by Ashok Sinha |
The civic body constituted five mobile teams on Wednesday to monitor cleanliness in the city a day after the high court pulled it up for poor sanitation.
Patna Municipal Corporation commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal moved around various localities on Wednesday to supervise the sanitation work.
The high court on Tuesday observed the civic body’s failure to deliver quality sanitation services in the city — clear garbage and deal with waterlogging — and directed it to form mobile teams and submit daily reports on steps taken to ensure proper sanitation service.
Going through the progress report submitted before the court on Wednesday, a division bench directed PMC to file reports on tackling waterlogging and garbage problems. The case would be taken up for hearing again on Monday.
A senior civic body officer said: “Five mobile teams comprising sanitation inspectors, sub-inspectors and specialised labourers have been constituted. They will be assigned different areas to supervise carting of garbage upon getting complaints from people. Steps will soon be taken to cover the manholes and clean drains as directed by the high court.”
Additional commissioners and executive officers of the four administrative circles of the corporation also surveyed various areas on Wednesday. Sheshank Shekhar Sinha, executive officer, New Capital circle, said employees were working overtime to implement the high court’s directives.
Insiders said the civic body’s extra efforts could only be a temporary arrangement. Sources said the municipal corporation had been spending Rs 5 crore every month for collecting and disposing waste when it needs to be increased to around Rs 20 crore for quality service.
“The state government has ensured that the corporation remains crippled though expectations of people are sky-high. Things cannot be improved substantially until a private agency takes up the job of carting trash because the corporation mostly collects garbage manually,” said a civic body official.
He added: “Repeated snubs by the high court have put extra burden on the corporation’s shoulders. The daily fuel expenses have increased by Rs 60,000. Hopes are now pinned on a consortium of private agency that was selected by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation in July to provide garbage collection and disposal facility in 62 wards.”