RMC to launch nullah cleaning drive soon

Raipur, June 09, 2011

The municipal corporation will soon commence massive nullah cleaning campaign. The objective of the drive is to thoroughly clean 77 the small and big nullahs of the city before arrival of monsoon to ensure that overflow of the waste water many not cause waterlogging in low lying areas as well as on main roads.

In this regard, the president of municipal’s Health department Gyanesh Sharma has directed the officials to submit a work plan pertaining to nullahs that must comprise of effective cleaning methods, improvement of drainage system of nullahs, etc.

Sharma’s directive came after he inspected nullah cleaning work at WRS Colony on Thursday. He said he had received complaints from residents of different wards that in spite of RMC’s cleaning drive last summer before rains, many of the nullahs had choked again.

At WRS Colony, he found that the sanitary workers removed several quintals of polythene waste from the nullah. He appealed to the people not to throw polythene waste in the nullahs or drains as it hampers sanitation works of the municipal corporation.

Sharma said to ensure proper cleaning of nullahs and drains, the comprehensive work plan should be prepared on the basis of zonal reports regarding sanitation.

Sharma further asked the officials to remove all the encroachments over the nullahs so that the cleaning works could be done on regular basis. The municipal had launched intermittent drives to remove such encroachments in the past but people have done illegal construction (both makeshift and permanent) over the nullahs again.

Sharma said if required the RMC would also purchase a machine through which the sanitation gangs would conveniently carry out deep cleaning of the nullahs. For this, he asked the officials to prepare a separate proposal so that tenders could be invited to purchase the machine after obtaining administrative approval.

He said to ensure proper drainage of waste water from nullahs, the municipal will increase their width where they are narrow.

Irked by the habit of the shopkeepers who usually throw waste on roads instead of throwing it in garbage vats, Sharma asked the officials to ensure that the shopkeepers must comply with civic norms pertaining to sanitation.