The Dhanbad Municipal Corporation is carrying out a special cleanliness drive ahead of the monsoon season, in all 55 wards spread over five circles, including Jharia, Dhanbad, Sindri, Katras and Chhatatand, with focus on desiltation work on all major drains.

Extra labourers have also been deployed at all the wards for clearing construction materials lying scattered on different roads and streets, causing traffic hurdles.

The basic aim of the desiltation work is to ensure smooth flow of water in the drains to avoid it from overflowing during the monsoon and thereby preventing water logging in residential colonies and roads, which is a regular occurrence every year.

City manager of the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation, Md Anis said, “The drive is being carried out in all 55 wards simultaneously and out of 15 labourers of each ward nine to ten are being used for drain desilting work while rest have been spared for sweeping work for roads and streets.”

“We are also hiring extra unskilled labourers under the Mukhyamantri Shramik Rojgar Yojna for the desiltation work in all wards as per instruction of state uraban development department,” said Anis.

Elaborating about the deployment of labourers for desiltation of major drain, Anis said, “As the previous experience with manual desiltation of large drain of more than 10 to 40 feet wide drain is not satisfactory due to deeper layers of silt not being cleared, we have deployed altogether five earth movers for the desiltation work.”

“Two of these earth movers are being used on rotational basis in 14 wards of Dhanbad circle for deeper desiltation, while three others are being used for remaining 41 wards of three other circles,” he said.

The drive began last week and is scheduled till May 25, but Anis said if required, the DMC will request the state Urban Development Department to extend the date.

Umesh Kumar, supervisor and in-charge of the drive at Jharia Circle said, “We began the drive in Jharia with the desiltation of one of the major drains situated on Dharmshala road lying between the autorickshaw stand to children’s park.”

“Other than the regular labourers we are using 30 to 40 extra labourers for the desiltation work on daily basis depending on the exigencies,” said Kumar.