HC orders mobile units to tackle waterlogging

Coming down heavily on the municipal corporation over inundated streets and houses in many areas of the state capital following incessant rains in the last three days, the Patna high court on Tuesday ordered the civic body to form mobile units "forthwith" for every locality of the city to tackle waterlogging, apart from filth and garbage.

Coming down heavily on the municipal corporation over inundated streets and houses in many areas of the state capital following incessant rains in the last three days, the Patna high court on Tuesday ordered the civic body to form mobile units "forthwith" for every locality of the city to tackle waterlogging, apart from filth and garbage.

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In order to give relief from waterlogging expeditiously, the court directed the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to widely circulate /publish mobile numbers of authorised officers and take action on every complaint within 24 hours.

While hearing a petition filed by Sunil Kumar and others on lack of civic amenities across the state capital, a division bench comprising justice T. Meena Kumari and justice Chakradhari Saran Singh passed the order. The case would be again taken up on Wednesday for monitoring.

Taking a tough stand on the corporation "inability" to remove waterlogging and rid the state capital of filth and garbage despite repeated orders of the court, the judges summoned the municipal commissioner when the case was taken up in the first session. In compliance of the court's order, the municipal commissioner remained present in the court when the matter was gain taken up in the second session.

While pulling up the municipal chief over waterlogging in the state capital, the bench directed him to submit report on steps taken to clear waterlogging, apart from the cleanness drive on dayto-day basis, as well as action taken on complaints of every Patnaites to mobile units.

During the hearing, a battery of lawyers complained that the "many areas of the city, including Mithapur, Kadamkuan, SK Nagar, Boring Road, Patliputra Colony, Ashiana Nagar and Kankarbagh, were waterlogged and stinking due to heaps of garbage and filth accumulated there.