KMC starts drain clean-up drive

UNABLE TO convince the contractors to get back to work, the Kanpur Municipal Corporation has begun the cleaning of drains through departmental construction unit (DCU) procedure. The cleaning work has begun of over a dozen drains in the city.

UNABLE TO convince the contractors to get back to work, the Kanpur Municipal Corporation has begun the cleaning of drains through departmental construction unit (DCU) procedure. The cleaning work has begun of over a dozen drains in the city.

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According to the officials, the DCU process has proved to be a boon for the KMC, as through the process, the KMC would be able to save about 30 per cent of the amount spent through tender process.

The recently appointed municipal commissioner Badal Chatterjee along with additional municipal commissioner I Captain R Vikkram Singh have inspected the drainage cleaning work in the industrial area and were satisfied with the pace of work.

Later, he said that with the DCU process the corporation would incur about 30 per cent less than what is incurred through tender process.

He also floated a plan to involve industrialists in the drainage cleaning work by asking them to contribute towards the same. Besides, a proposal was also being mooted in which the local traders and residents would verify the cleaning of the drain. This way the complaints and controversy over the drain cleaning could be reduced said a KMC senior official. The officials said that the drains would be cleaned through DCU process only.

It is pertinent to mention that last year the KMC had incurred about Rs 1.5 crore through tender process. According to an official, of which the contractors have got about Rs 46 lakh. However, the official said that with the DCU procedure the corporation was expected to incur only over Rs 60 lakh. However, the officials were of the view that the drainage cleaning work might be delayed, as it would be difficult to manage manpower through the procedure.