BBMP plans to clean the city’s drains before the monsoon. However, only 241 of the 350 kilometres of arterial stormwater drains may be desilted by June 30. The civic body has a target of complete the remaining 330 km by August. It has floated short-term tenders for the same. It will spend Rs 7 crore on the job.
The civic body is also planning to launch a web page where citizens can rate the work. It will send the recommendations to the Delhi Government.
The National Highways Authority of India took over the maintenance of Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road on February 1. The public works department has maintained the road, but residents of the area have complained about poor drainage for two decades. The NHAI has been providing funds for the maintenance of the road, and officials said it is now time to address the problem of drainage.
A BBMP official said the civic body has contracted a company to desilt 400 km of stormwater drains. The civic body has hired the company after it was awarded a contract by the GMDA to repair the master sewer line. The company will clean the drains and replace the cement pipeline with a PVC line. The work will be completed in phases. The company has also been given the contract for desilting the master drain, but the drain desilting work may not be completed before the monsoon arrives.
Desilting is essential for the maintenance of sewer and drain pipes. It helps to prevent clogs and blockages. It also helps to prevent flooding during wet weather. A clogged drain prevents water from flowing away, which can cause flooding and make driving dangerous. A clogged pipe can also damage plumbing lines. Moreover, the remnants of past clogs can also clog pipes in the future.
A plumber uses special machinery to clean the drains. One of the equipments used is a plumbing snake. It has a high-powered motor that drives a series of small metal blades attached to a durable cable. These blades are designed to break up clogs when the motor is turned on. The snake also features a hand crank, which helps to elongate the cable to get it down the drain.
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has shared documents about the desilting of its drains. The corporation has formed teams for cleaning the major drains. In addition, it has also set a target to complete the de-silting of drains by May 3. During the pre-monsoon showers, silt collected at the bottom of drains and blocked the pipes.
The government has also instructed the PMC to improve its monitoring system. It has been advised to increase resources and assign sanitation workers in two shifts. The PMC has also formed special teams for cleaning each major drain. It has also set a target to complete the cleaning of other drains by mid-May. The contractor, however, has not submitted a work completion certificate after several months.
In addition to removing clogs, the company also removes remnants of past clogs. These remnants can cause the clog to re-form.