GHMC removes silt from drains no mechanism to dispose

Hyderabad: The GHMC removes three lakh cubic metres of silt from the drains but has no mechanism to either dispose of it immediately or use it as soil. The silt dredged out of the drains is deposited on the sides, from where it flows right back. But contractors claim bills for removing the same.

Asked about this, a corporation official said globally there was no scientific mechanism to dispose of the silt. GHMC has decided to constitute a committee to tighten up drain desiltation mechanism to prevent fake billing.

According to sources, the corporation pays contractors Rs 480.50 to transport every cubic metre of silt to the Jawaharnagar dump yard. But contractors are not transporting silt to the yard and are instead dumping it in other areas.

A Rs 1.2 crore scam was busted in May and 13 assistant engineers were booked for it. Ever since the drain desilting scam came to light, contractors and engineers have been taken aback and were deliberately shying away from drain desilting.

Sources said that the contractors have been doing this to get certain relaxations in desilting work, which would benefit them.

Admitting there was delay and lack of mechanism to desilt drains, a senior GHMC official said the corporation has already asked the projects wing to provide buffer zone to construct roads (like roads constructed adjacent to canals) where silt removed from drain can be deposited and allow it to become dry before transporting it to the dumping yard.

He said this would restrict the silt from getting back into the drain and CCTV would be installed to check whether it has been manually dumped back again after desiltation.

The official said the corporation has also decided to dump the silt at identified places in four directions where debris would be dumped.

He said the GHMC has also decided to use silt to fill abandoned quarries near the desiltation site. He also requested citizens not to dump inorganic material like plastic in open drain since it was observed that 50 per cent of silt composition has plastic bags, refrigerators, air coolers, sofa sets and other material.

The GHMC official said it has become a Herculean task for GHMC to separate organic soil from the silt, which can be useful for farmers.

“We have decided to form a committee to study lacunae in the drain desiltation mechanism. Besides this, the corporation would visit Chennai and adopt similar technology to desilt closed drains. The civic body has also decided to collect inorganic material from residents on every alternative Sundays.”