Bhopal: BMC administration, which is still to come out of self-glorification mode for retaining second position in “Swachh Survekshan”, doesn’t seem to be prepared for monsoon, which is knocking at its door. BMC’s ill-preparedness for the approaching rains could be gauged from the fact that cleaning of nullahas, sewage lines, storm water drains, which should have been completed by now, are yet to be initiated in the country’s number 2 cleanest city.
The authorities claim, to have almost completed all the de-silting and cleaning of nullahas, don’t hold any water. Clogged nullahas and drains lead to water logging and flooding in several parts of the city, but authorities are least bothered. According to sources, BMC has six poclain machines to clean water bodies and nullahas. As of now all these machines are pressed into services in Upper Lake de-silting drive. So far the authorities have not even begun removing filth and garbage from nullahas.
Drains at Saket Nagar(sector –C), Patara nullah, Bhopal talkies nullaha, Bharat talkies nullaha, Nehru Nagar nullaha, 5 no- bus stop nullaha, Banganga nullaha, Pushpa Nagar’s nullaha, Teelajamalpura and Bairagarh are all clogged and would overflows during rains.
Authorities need to take up cleaning work at the earliest as overflowing nullahas leads to water logging in areas making it inaccessible during rains. Raising the issue, the corporators on Monday had demanded discussion in BMC Parishad over nullaha cleaning as it has not been taken up so far.
Earlier, rainwater in the three interlinked ponds in the walled city – Motia talab, Siddiqui Hassan Khan talab, Munshi Hussain Khan talab used to get channelized, but now due to illegal encroachments, the nearby residential area get flooded during monsoon.
A series of hospitals constructed on bank of Siddiqui Hassan Khan talab has blocked the interconnectivity of the ponds leading to water logging. Now during rains, water flows on roads and enters residential colonies flooding the entire Hamidia Road.
BMC deputy commissioner Harish Gupta, however, claimed that they have three-month plan for cleaning of nullahas. “On regular basis, BMC administration has been carrying out cleaning of drains and nullahas. There is no need for giving any special attention as it is a regular feature.
In fact, we are going to finish the execution of plan within a week. A few nullahas where there is need of machines have to be cleaned otherwise, all the drains have been declogged, claimed Gupta. In July, 2016, Bhopal had faced brunt of flood which claimed 7 lives. Even posh colonies were marooned and cars were seen floating in covered campus.