Not even 50% of drains in the city have been cleaned even when monsoon has arrived in the state capital. With slow pace of civic bodies in achieving their desilting targets, people fear that water clogging will add to their woes in the coming days.
City mayor, Jyoti Khandelwal on Monday admitted that Jaipur Muncipal Corporation has not even reached the half-way mark in cleaning drains and major nullahs. “Out of total 931 drains falling under our jurisdiction, only 300 have been cleaned properly. There are 235 nullahs which have not not even been touched so far. Tenders were issued in May but agencies have not worked as expected,” said Khandelwal.
“In the pre-monsoon showers we faced a lot of difficulties. Now with forecast of monsoon reaching early, it will be challenge for us to get the work done on time,” added the mayor. Experts attributed the debris filled drains as the prime reason for water clogging leading to a flood-like situation in the 2012 monsoons. To cover the lost time the JMC officials have issued orders to complete the process latest by June 25.
Similarly, JDA which is mandated to clean Nagtalai nullah is lagging behind. The officials claim to have completed 60 per cent of the work. For the remaining 40 per cent of work, they admit that it will take nearly 10 more days. The apathy to clean this nullah was shown even after strict orders from chief secretary CK Mathew, who had instructed to desilt the nullah completely last year.
The district collector, T Ravikanth had already expressed his annoyance with the lethargy of civic bodies. After touring the city to gauge the preparedness for monsoons, he instructed officials to fasten the cleaning process.
The civic bodies are also facing difficulties in removing illegal encroachments in low-lying and catchment areas. The Madrampura basti, which drowned in last year’s rain, has again been inhabited. The illegal godowns constructed in the Walled City are yet to see any notices from the JMC. In the other areas like kachchi basti, prone to water clogging, no evacuation has been done till date.
src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Monsoon-has-arrived-but-civic-bodies-failed-in-achieving-their-de-silting-targets/articleshow/20636696.cms