Asansol: Yesterday's Trinamool Congress leader is today's BJP poster boy. But, yesterday's civic troubles remain unchanged today. The clogged drains and blocked paths of two rivers is boiling down to one of the prime issues in the upcoming Asansol Municipal Elections in West Bengal.
The civic polls of Asansol Municipal Corporation have been scheduled for February 12, after being delayed for the surge in Covid-19 cases across the state. And every political party in the fray, be it the Trinamool Congress or the opposition BJP or the CPI(M), everyone is listing out their promises to better the civic woes of Asansol.
The issue of waterlogging has been in Asansol for quite some time, but had hogged the limelight after heavy rains lashed the industrial city last year during the monsoons, resulting in flash floods in both Ganrui and Nunia rivers. Both rivers flow through the city and the floods had inundated large parts of Asansol leaving citizens stranded in their homes for days together.
Frustrated residents who went on for days with potable water, electricity and remained virtually marooned, have blamed the Trinamool Congress-run civic board of the city for miserably failing on the counts of maintenance of sewerage and drainage system of Asansol. Along with it, people have also pointed fingers at the Jitendra Tiwari-run Asansol Municipal Corporation for taking no steps in proper desiltation of the Ganrui and Nunia rivers.
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But, yesterday's Trinamool leader and Mayor of Asansol Jitendra Tiwari is today's BJP leader and member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly from Pandabeshwar seat.
“We know there were lapses and all of that will be amended. We have seen what happened during last year's monsoons. Once the elections are over and if Trinamool Congress comes to power and forms the board in Asansol Corporation, our top priority will be not only theb desiltation of Ganrui and Nunia rivers, but a complete overhaul of the city's drainage system. We will not let the people suffer,” said Moloy Ghatak,
Trinamool Congress MLA of Asansol Uttar seat and the state's public works department minister, adding the issue of drainage and sewerage of Asansol has found a prominent place in the party's election manifesto for the upcoming civic polls. Outgoing Mayor Jitendra Tiwari is also not lagging behind in his promises.
“When I was the Mayor of Asansol, I tried in my way to mitigate the waterlogging trouble of the city. We had done the dredging of both the rivers that run through the city, but one has to understand that these rivers do not originate or terminate within the civic limits of Asansol. It flows in other areas outside as well in the downstream, where there are encroachments as well as blockages.
"Without clearing them and ensuring free flow of both rivers, nothing much will be done in respect to the waterlogging problem of the city. We had submitted a detailed project report on the matter to the state's irrigation department, but nothing has been done in this regard. If we are voted to power, we will ensure unclogged Ganuri and Nunia rivers,” said Tiwari.
