This monsoon, enjoy the rain in Jamshedpur, but hopefully minus muck and mess.
The East Singhbhum district administration has launched an extensive campaign to unclog drains across the steel city to prevent flooding of residential areas in the steel city during downpour.
Deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal on Friday issued directives to urban local bodies Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee, Mango Notified Area Committee and Jugsalai Municipality, asking them to ensure that drains in their respective areas are cleaned before June 15, the tentative date for advent of monsoon in Jharkhand.
The administrative seriousness was evident from surprise drain inspections on Friday in Mango, which is infamous for flash floods. Every year, heavy rain maroons densely populated areas such as Kunwar Basti, Hargodam and pockets of Dimna Road.
"I had asked urban local bodies to start cleaning drains earlier, but a formal order has now been issued. High drains should be desilted, if necessary, before June 15. I will visit areas to monitor work," Kaushal said.
On Friday, the deputy commissioner inspected six big and small drains in Kunwar Basti, Chepapul Road, Kalikanagar, Dimna roundabout and Dimna Road in Mango along with notified area committee special officer Jagadish Prasad Yadav.
"Work is being done satisfactorily in most places in Mango. There are issues of encroachment of drains near Dimna roundabout. A directive has been issued to Jamshedpur circle officer Maheshwar Mahto to launch a crackdown after verification," Kaushal said.
The JNAC has meanwhile written to Tata Steel to help with cleaning around 15 drains that carry effluents from the company while the civic body on it own is unclogging 30 others under its jurisdiction. A drain cleaning drive has also been undertaken in Jugsalai.
Jamshedpur has 20 high drains, out of which 15 carry industrial effluents, and nearly 50 smaller ones that service different neighbourhoods.
A BJP delegation had demonstrated at the district collectorate last month, demanding unclogging of drains before monsoon since Nor'wester rain had caused waterlogging in several residential areas in Bhuiyandih and Sitaramdera.
