Bhopal: As the monsoon approaches, the slow progress of nullah cleaning in the city threatens to cause significant disruptions if the rains begin before the task is completed. Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials report that the city has around 125 nullahs, including both primary and secondary ones. According to BMC, 50 percent of the nullahs have been cleaned, with the remaining scheduled for completion by June 10.
The BMC administration has deployed poclain machines to clean major nullahs. However, for those in congested slum areas, ‘robots’ or small JCB machines will be used. Choked nullahs can cause severe disruptions, turning roads into rivers, particularly in slum areas.
Guddu Chauhan, a Congress corporator, criticized the focus on major nullahs, neglecting those in congested areas which could cause problems during the monsoon. He emphasized the need to clean all nullahs and choked drains before the monsoon arrives.
Robots to Clean Congested Areas
Yogendra Patel, BMC deputy commissioner, stated, “We have one poclain machine for every two zones. Thus, we prioritized cleaning the big nullahs first. For those in congested areas, we will deploy ‘robots’ and manual cleaning gangs.”
‘50% of Nullahs Cleaned’
“Nullahs in 50 percent of the zones have been cleaned, and the remaining will be done by June 10, the tentative date for the monsoon’s arrival,” Patel added. “There are 125 nullahs in Bhopal, including primary and secondary ones.”
