Silchar MLA assures to clear pile of post-flood garbage

Silchar, July 13: The water might have receded from most of the urban areas of Silchar but the woes of the residents of the second biggest urban sprawl in the state have not ended yet. From sofas to wooden cupboards, plastic, beddings, sewage and clothes-washed up in the recent spell of the catastrophic flood are all piled up in almost all street corners across Silchar.

The District Administration and resources at the Silchar Municipal Board informed that around 300-400 tons of waste accumulates every day and clearing the mountain of waste is a major challenge in the post-flood scenario.

Under the circumstances, Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty has plunged into combat the situation and placed some suggestions of splitting the town into three zones covering all the Municipal wards respectively for clearing the piled up waste emanating foul odour. He has also drawn the attention of the civic board for the use of bleaching powder and disinfectants to minimise the possibility of the spread of infections.

"In coordination with the Silchar Municipal Board, we have started the special 7-day drive from today across the town. For the ease of work to accomplish such a major and stiff challenge, we have categorised the town into three zones viz wards 1,2,3,4,5,24,25,26,27 and 28 in zone-I, wards 6,7,8,9,10,11,12, 21, 22 and 23 in zone II and from wards, 13-20 and machines and vehicles of the civic board along with hired vehicles and resources would be used to pick up the waste and clear the areas. Former municipal vice-chairperson Bijendra Prasad Singh, commissioner Rajesh Das, Amrit Mandal, Jhalak Chakraborty, Ashim Das along with Santanu Roy and other interested workers of the BJP are toiling hard to clear the waste from the streets. We shall work together during this special drive and improve the situation as we seek blessings and cooperation from the people who have lost their valuable belongings in the flood," Chakraborty told reporters at Radha Madhab Road which is under zone II on Tuesday. He inspected the pace of clearance and gave necessary instructions to those engaged in the task as well.

Asked if any measures were taken to clear the waterlogging caused due to heavy showers almost every night over the past few days, the Silchar legislator said, "For the next three days, our focus is to clear the mountain of waste from the town. This would be followed up with tasks to clear the clogged drains. We are thankful to honourable Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma for sending several pump sets, some of which are installed at Banglaghat area to flush out the water. Ghagra River at Banglaghat is at par with the level of the water logged within the town which had slowed the pace of the water flow significantly. Also, the dyke is taking a toll owing to the vibration of the pump sets and so we have paused the work for the next few days so that the water recedes further."

Further, responding to a question on the plight of the people living along the site of Moheesha Beel, the MLA was of the view that a plan to construct another dyke along the present dyke in the vicinity would lessen the load to a great deal has been proposed before the Chief Minister and he hoped that steps would be taken accordingly in the coming days.