Dhanbad Municipal Corporation is busy cleaning ponds, at least 90 of which are spread across 55 wards of five circles of the city, engaging migrant labourers in many of the water bodies.

Among the ponds that are being cleaned are those in Jharia, Dhanbad, Sindri, Katras and Chhatatand. Smaller ponds are being cleaned using DMC’s own labours. But the larger ones, say, Raja Talab of Jharia, are being cleaned with help of migrant labourers under the Mukhyamantri Shramik Kalyan Yojna.

DMC’s Swachh Bharat Mission project in-charge Prem Prakash said the first round of work was likely to be completed by October-end by which time hyacinth would be removed from the water.

“We began by cleaning some of the smaller ponds with our own labourers. Gradually, we will be engaging migrant labourers under the Mukhyamantri Shramik Kalyan Yojna,” Prakash said, adding that the second round of cleaning would begin after Durga Puja and would be completed on November 14 ahead of Diwali.

The final touches to ponds will be given after Diwali with sprinkling of bleaching powder, alum etc on ghats. “Besides the pond cleaning we have also started repairing street lights in all 55 wards ahead of Durga Puja,” he said and added that night sweeping in all commercial places of the district, like Bank More, Part Market, Hirapur, Saraidhela, Jharia Bazar, Saharpura Market, was also in progress.

DMC sanitary inspector of Dhanbad circle Arjun Ram said, “We have13 ponds in Dhanbad circle of which cleanliness of two is in progress with 15 labourers. Each pond will take around two-three days to be completely cleaned.”

DMC project officer of Jharia circle Kunal Kumar said they had started work at Raja Talab, spread over 8.64 acre, with 29 migrant labourers three days ago. “We expect work to be completed ahead of Chhath on November 19,” he said.

Jharia residents, led by former councillor of ward 37, had taken out a protest march on October 2, demanding cleanliness and renovation of Raja Talab, the historic pond developed by the erstwhile king of Jharia estate Raja Durga Prasad Singh in early 1920.