Desilt the drain and leave a trail behind

BANGALORE: While the the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike may have finally taken up the work of desilting the drains in the city seriously, a single rain could probably wipe out all their efforts.Cleaning and clearing the tertiary drains have picked up momentum, but where is the silt form these drains being dumped? It is being piled on the banks of the drain. One rain and all the silt will be washed back into the drains, thereby diluting all their time, effort and energy.According to Someshekhar, the chief engineer (east) “The process of desilting the road side drains was recently started. Though it’s a slow process, it in an ongoing one.” He also mentioned that all the field engineers have been instructed to clear the silt from the site within a day’s time. However, it seems like the instructions are not being followed very well. Rama Temple Road in Tipasandra and Cambridge Road are examples for the same.In both the area the drains were desilted days ago, but the silt removed from the drain still remains where it was left. The road in front of ISRO Colony is another living example of the lack of responsibility on the part of the civic agencies. Apart from the battered road, the stretch from the colony up to Cambridge Main Road is in a very poor condition. While part of the tertiary drain here has been desilted, the rest is overflowing. The silt that has been neatly stacked by the drains was removed days ago. “It’s a good thing that they are desilting the drains. That way at least the problem of clogging and flooding will be resolved. But what’s the point of working so laboriously on something when all your efforts can be literally washed away in a jiffy?” asked Ricky, a resident of Cambridge Layout.According to Narimaraju, executive engineer for Shantinagar area, once the drains are desilted, the silt removed cannot be moved immediately. “Only once the silt dries up can we transport it. It is very difficult to transport and relocate wet silt. In my area 50 per cent of the tertiary drains have been desilted.The remaining work will be over by the end of July. As far as Cambridge Layout is concerned, the work there will be finished within the next 10 days, provided the weather conditions are right,” he said. He further added that all the silt from the drains will be taken to the dumping sites for disposal.As for Tipasandra and the surrounding areas, the executive engineer in charge, Lingappa said that all the desilting work will be completed by the end of the month. “We have under taken the desilting work for Tipasandra and the surrounding areas. As far as the silt from the drains are concerned, they will be cleared immediately,” he adde