Patna: Patna Municipal Corporation has intensified its preparations ahead of the monsoon, with officials inspecting major drains and sanitation work across the city on Saturday. Acting on the directions of the municipal commissioner, the additional municipal commissioner conducted on-site inspections in different zones to review the progress of drain desilting, silt removal, anti-larval spraying and the condition of manhole and catchpit covers.
Officials also interacted with residents during the inspection and collected feedback about the drainage system in their neighbourhoods. The civic body said the pre-monsoon preparations have now reached their final phase, with continuous desilting work being carried out across Patna to prevent waterlogging during the rainy season. Cleaning of smaller open drains, manholes and catchpits is also underway simultaneously.
According to the municipal corporation, drain cleaning and silt removal operations are being conducted daily in both day and night shifts. After silt is removed, lime, bleaching powder and anti-larval chemicals are sprayed at the sites to maintain sanitation and reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
In an effort to improve transparency, officials involved in drain cleaning have been instructed to get their inspection reports verified by local residents before submitting them. The name and mobile number of the verifying resident will also be recorded, and the civic headquarters will cross-check the details as part of the verification process.
The second phase of drain desilting for 2026 began on February 15 and is expected to continue until April 30. During the inspection, authorities also reviewed the condition of damaged manhole and catchpit covers across the city. Engineers have been directed to repair or replace broken covers at the earliest to ensure safety and smooth drainage.
Several major drains in the city have already recorded significant progress. Desilting work at Saidpur drain in the Azimabad area is 62 percent complete, while work at Anandpuri drain has reached nearly 83 percent. Mohanpur Middle drain is almost finished with 99 percent of the work completed, and desilting at Nehru Nagar underground drain has reached around 82 percent.
The municipal corporation also reported that one round of desilting has already been completed at Serpentine and Yogipur drains, with a second round currently underway. Construction work is ongoing at Saidpur drain in the Bankipur area, while desilting at the Bypass drain in Kankarbagh is expected to begin soon.
Across the city, Patna has more than 53,500 manholes and over 41,500 catchpits, while the total length of open or service drains stretches to nearly 1.75 million metres. Civic authorities say the ongoing work is aimed at strengthening the drainage system and minimising the risk of waterlogging during the upcoming monsoon season.
