Clean Kham, Sukhna rivers on mission-mode, orders Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar civic chief

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Municipal commissioner G. Sreekanth has directed the officials to work on "mission mode" and complete the cleaning of the city's two key natural water sources — Kham and Sukhna rivers — before the onset of monsoon.During a review meeting of the river rejuvenation projects, Sreekanth asked the officials to ensure that no work related to the river cleaning remains pending and all processes are carried out on a war-footing."The planned execution of the project is expected to reduce flood risks in vulnerable areas of the city while also helping restore the natural flow and ecological health of the Kham and Sukhna rivers," Shreekanth said.Civic authorities said the cleaning of the Kham river has been underway for the past six years and the project has achieved considerable progress so far. However, the commissioner directed officer on special duty (OSD) Asadullah Khan and his team to submit a detailed four-month action plan outlining the remaining work that must be completed before the monsoon begins in June.As part of the new plan, Shreekanth instructed the officials to extend the river cleaning drive upstream up to Harsul, thereby widening the scope of the ongoing work. Officials were also asked to immediately report if additional machinery, manpower, technical inputs or other resources are required for the project. Besides Kham river, the civic body has also prioritized rejuvenation of the Sukhna river. The administration focused on removing obstructions from the riverbed to ensure smooth water flow, particularly to prevent flooding during monsoon.Sreekanth directed OSD Jayant Kulkarni, who is overseeing the Sukhna river rejuvenation project, to ensure that the river channel is thoroughly cleaned in time so that flood-like conditions do not arise in Naregaon and other settlements located along the riverbanks during the rainy season.