Ranchi drain death puts civic bodies on alert in Steel City

JAMSHEDPUR: Municipal bodies in Steel City asked workers and agencies involved in cleaning drains to be vigilant during the monsoon. The instruction came on Thursday, a day after a schoolgirl died after falling into an open drain in Ranchi's Hindpiri area.
The Mango Notified Area Committee (MNAC) asked its sanitation staff to immediately cover all manholes in the city. Private agencies, which are involved in cleaning drains, have also been told to remain alert.
"We are taking necessary precautions to ensure that manholes are not left open anywhere," special officer (SO), MNAC, Rajendra Gupta, said.
The Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) also asked its officials concerned to ensure manholes are properly covered.
Notably, there are 147 drains, including 42 big drains, in the industrial town.
"Not only in the command area of the company, but even low-lying regions outside the command area are also being properly monitored to see to it that no drain is left uncovered or poorly covered," SO, JNAC, Krishna Kumar, said.
Incidentally, two minors died in separate instances after falling into drains in Jamshedpur in recent years.
In 2015, 10-year-old Farhan Khan died after falling into an overflowing drain in Azadnagar, Mango.
In 2018, three-year-old Ashish Sao died after slipping into a high drain in Golmuri.
"Let the monsoon rains bounce back, the claims of the civic authorities will go for a toss," a school teacher, Manoj Kumar Singh, a resident of Bhetia Basti in Kadma that falls within JNAC limits, said.
P S Bhatia, a resident of D'costa Road, Jugsalai, said: "Gaushala drain is overflowing at the moment. Imagine what would happen when rainfall increases."