22 major drains yet to be cleaned, city faces waterlogging risk
Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, May 30: With the monsoon expected to arrive within a week, civic preparedness in Jamshedpur remains far from satisfactory. Despite forecasts of heavy rainfall this season, major drains in the city continue to remain clogged. While the municipal bodies — Mango Municipal Corporation, Jugsalai Municipal Council and Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee — have initiated drain cleaning work in smaller lanes, the larger and more critical drains have been neglected, raising serious concerns about potential waterlogging and public health risks.
Currently, 22 major drains that discharge into the Suvarnarekha and Kharkai rivers are still blocked with garbage, silt and overgrowth. The recent pre-monsoon showers have already resulted in water accumulation in several low-lying areas, exposing the city’s vulnerability. If not addressed promptly, the situation may worsen, leading to water entering homes, severe traffic congestion and the spread of waterborne diseases.
Several key drains across the city have not been cleaned for over a year, some for as long as two years. In Mango’s Waris Colony Road No. 4, the local drain is completely choked, causing water to flood nearby areas even after light rain. Residents claim the drain has not been cleaned in over a year. Similar complaints have emerged from Old Purulia Road in Kunwar Basti, where more than half the drain is filled with silt and garbage. In Birsanagar, overgrown bushes and accumulated waste are blocking the flow of water, while the drain near Chepapul in Mango-Azadnagar also remains clogged, with no cleaning efforts undertaken for nearly a year.
Other areas facing the same issue include Sitaramdera, Baghbera, Jugsalai, Golmuri Refugee Colony, Shastri Nagar and locations along the National Highway. According to Nishant Kumar, City Manager of Mango Municipal Corporation, a tender has been issued for the cleaning of major drains, with May 31 as the deadline and the opening scheduled for June 2. He assured that cleaning work will begin soon after. Meanwhile, Sandeep Paswan, Executive Officer of Jugsalai Municipal Council, stated that preparations for monsoon are underway and drains will be cleaned in time. However, the ground reality of persistent garbage piles and blocked channels suggests that time is running out for meaningful action.
