NEW DELHI: Nearly 50,000 metric tonnes of garbage have accumulated along the banks of the 25-kilometre stretch of Munak Canal in Delhi over the years, officials said on Monday.
The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department has said it will rope in a contractor to clean the 48,782 metric tonnes of garbage, which is primarily constituted by silt and municipal solid waste.
“The contractor will clean all the waste accumulated along the banks and have the responsibility to transfer it to landfill sites. A tender has been floated to carry out the work,” an official said.
The major water line has been the focus of the government for the past several days. The government has announced a plan to cover the canal with solar panels and construct a 20-km elevated corridor above it to decongest the areas in Outer Delhi.
“The work is to be completed in 75 days (two and a half months), which involves excavation of the waste and safely unloading it at the designated waste site, at the cost of Rs 5 crore,” the tender states.
In April, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had inspected the canal and ordered officials to speed up drain cleaning work. She also issued instructions to construct roads on both sides of the canal and to put together an action plan for water conservation and purification.
Along the elevated corridor, the government plans to create recreational spaces, with open parks and walkways, the official said.
The Rs 3,000 crore elevated road will link Inderlok to Bawana along the 102-km Munak Canal, a crucial water supply channel built to reduce losses in the Western Yamuna Canal and ensure efficient transport to Delhi.