Patna municipal corporation men to work at night during monsoon

PATNA: The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) to tackle waterlogging during monsoon in the city, especially in low-lying areas and roads or lanes having no drainage system. It has also decided to expedite the construction of separate drainage channels in low-lying areas of the city.
The civic body has asked the executive officers of all six circles – Azimabad, Bankipore, Kankarbagh, New Capital, Patliputra and Patna City – to engage at least 16-20 workers in night shifts to do anti-waterlogging work.
PMC commissioner Himanshu Sharma said the civic body has drawn out a monsoon plan analysing the recent rainfall in the city.
He said blocked manholes or catch pits, defunct sewage lines due to haphazard construction, broken pipelines due to development work and lack of proper drains in several localities are mainly responsible for waterlogging in the city.
“We have asked the executive officers as well as ward councillors to depute at least 16-20 workers in night shift during the monsoon. The idea is to allow the workers to drain out accumulated water when the rain stops, even at night,” Sharma said.
He added, “Night work will be carried out especially in those areas where there is no drainage pipeline and the localities having defunct sewage and blocked manholes or catch pits. Such areas are Kankarbagh, Bypass, Rajendra Nagar (road numbers 1 and 2), Nala Road, Kadamkuan near Congress Maidan, Bazaar Samiti, Bahadurpur and Patliputra.”
To drain out water from waterlogged areas, the PMC has already procured 100 portable diesel-run motor pumps of 10-15hp. The civic body has also placed orders for 100 more such motor pumps.
Sharma said for some areas like Ram Krishna Nagar and Rajendra Nagar, the civic body has drawn a different plan to drain out accumulated water. “In Ram Krishna Nagar, where there is no drainage system, we have created a well for the outfall of water. Two motor pumps (one of 83hp and another of 23hp) have been placed at a platform. These pumps will drain out water from different localities and put them in the well. From the well, water will be discharged into the Badshahi Pan,” he said.
The Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCO) has also constructed 27 temporary sump houses in addition to 39 existing sump houses in the city.
Meanwhile, as per the master plan, construction work has started at 25 separate sewage networks. The state government had already approved the proposal of construction of 45 sewage networks at different locations for the outfall of water. The project involves an expenditure of Rs 45 crore.
Sharma said four drainage networks at Ashok Nagar, Ram Nagar, Ram Lakhan Path and Indira Nagar have already been constructed. “The drainage network at Nala road, Thakurbari, Bari Path, Postal Park, Arya Kumar Road and East Ram Krishna Nagar is under construction,” he added.
The work has yet to start at other 20 sewage line including Rajendra Nagar (road number 1 and 2), Kadamkuan near Congress Maidan and Panchwati Nagar (ward number 47), where 10 sewage line have to come up.
Patna mayor Sita Sahu said the construction work of new sewage networks was affected due to coronavirus-induced lockdown.