The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday directed the state government and the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to submit a detailed status report on the construction and maintenance of the sewage and drainage system in the state capital.
A division bench of Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar passed the direction while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Shubham Kataruka, who raised concerns over the “pathetic” state of roads and drainage in Ranchi.
Appearing for the civic authority, advocate LCN Shahdeo informed the court that the sewerage system in Ranchi has been divided into four zones.
- Zone 1, which includes Ratu Road, Bajra, Pandra, Kanke Road, Morabadi and Booty More, will be handled by the municipal corporation. Shahdeo said work in this zone is expected to be completed soon.
- The other three zones will be monitored by the state government.
The petitioner, however, objected to the submissions made on behalf of the municipal corporation. He argued that no details have been provided regarding the laying of pipelines, construction of sewage treatment plants, or disposal of sewage water, which are crucial for assessing the progress of the project.
The state government told the court that road widening work from Seva Sadan Hospital up to Ranchi Lake through Kishoreganj has been initiated, and tenders have already been floated for the project.
It further informed that the Urban Development Department has been asked to allocate funds to the municipal corporation for upkeep and maintenance of roads around Madhukam and Upper Bazaar areas.
The bench has listed the matter for further hearing after a fortnight, directing both the state and the RMC to file a comprehensive status report on the ongoing works.
