Though the rainy season is yet to arrive, the GMC wants to restore the
carrying capacity of the drains, which have been clogged by deposition
of trash and silt, at the earliest.

“The GMC has chalked out an
action plan to tackle the problem of artificial floods in the city. We
want to complete the first phase of the cleaning drive by the end of
April so that the water carrying capacity of the drains can be enhanced
before the rainy season starts,” GMC commissioner Kavitha Vaibhav
Padmanabhan told TOI.

She said the municipality has entrusted
the job of cleaning 83 drains to private firms. The contractors will
have to carry out cleaning drives of these vital drains till the rainy
season ends.

“The 83 drains have been divided into 42 packages.
The contractors have been allotted the cleaning work through bidding.
The GMC authorities will keep strict vigil on the work of the private
firms. They will have to ensure that silt coming down from the hills do
not hinder the flow of rainwater in these 83 vital drains,” said
Padmanabhan.

The GMC authorities have also undertaken cleaning
drives in small drains located at bylanes in six divisions of the GMC.
Three teams of drain labourers of the GMC are already carrying out
cleaning drives in each GMC division.

Spells of rain in the
city on Monday set alarm bells ringing in the artificial flood-prone
areas of the city. Chandmari, Rajgarh, GS Road, RG Barooah Road, GNB
Road, Nabin Nagar, Rajgarh Road, Lachit Nagar, Anil Nagar and the Zoo
Road are the worst hit every monsoon.