Kolhapur: With only three weeks remaining before the official onset of the monsoon, the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) has completed just 40% of nullah and drainage cleaning works in the city. Although the cleaning drive commenced on March 23, progress has been slow, raising concerns among activists who warn of potential flooding.
Activists Sound Alarm
Activist Ramesh More expressed deep concern over the pace of work. He stated, "Kolhapur city witnessed severe flooding in 2019 and 2021 because drains and nullahs were blocked despite cleaning efforts. If it rains now, the city will face a critical situation. Therefore, KMC officials must ensure that work progresses rapidly from here on."
Current Progress Report
The sewer cleaning operation carried out by the KMC before the monsoon has gained some momentum. According to officials, cleaning of seven out of 21 locations has been completed using the Poklan method. The cleaning work being executed by employees has reached 64% completion.
The KMC's health department is leading the campaign to clean drains, nullahs, and streams ahead of the monsoon. This initiative, which began on March 23, utilizes both manual labor and modern earth-moving machinery.
Official Details
A KMC health department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, provided a detailed breakdown: "Using manpower, 246 out of 476 places have been cleaned by the staff. With earth-moving machinery, 87 out of 206 places have been cleaned, which is up to 40%. There are two separate teams of KMC employees: one team has 24 employees and the other has 29 employees. A total of seven earthmoving machines and four dumpers are also being deployed. The work is expected to be completed before the end of May."
Despite these efforts, activists remain skeptical, pointing to past flooding incidents. They urge the corporation to accelerate the cleaning process to prevent a repeat of the 2019 and 2021 disasters.
