The councillors’ decision to stop desiltation of drains and engage sweepers of the civic body in routine work might cause hardships for the residents of the town this monsoon.

Chhapra Municipal Corporation (CMC) has 20 sweepers and all of them are engaged in lifting garbage in various areas. The decision to appoint 100 more sweepers on a contract basis has been put on hold by the municipality because of lack of funds.

“If desiltation of the drains is not done, there is bound to be waterlogging once it starts raining. Most administrative buildings, including the municipal corporation, will be hit like last year,” a source in the civic body said.

Several councillors said the work in their respective areas had been hampered and people have started complaining because this is the season of marriages.

CMC executive officer Braj Kishore Sadanand said the civic body has 142 employees to look after 44 wards. “The desilting work was started with this strength. But after about 120 employees were asked to carry out routine work in each ward, it has become difficult to complete the desiltation of the drains. The civic body does not have enough funds to avail the services of labourers on a contract basis,” he added.