Ranchi: With Durga Puja preparations underway, organisers in Ranchi have sought better civic arrangements around pandals and major routes, including regular removal of dust, covering of open drains and repair of faulty street lights. The demands were raised during a meeting of representatives of 176 puja committees with RMC commissioner Sushant Gaurav on Monday. Organisers also demanded free city bus services for devotees, temporary rest facilities and parking arrangements during the festival. They suggested that areas identified as black spots be assessed and provided with additional lighting.The committees also sought stone dust at stretches requiring levelling, cleaning around pandals and approach roads, bleaching powder spraying, fogging and dog-catching drives. They asked the civic body to prune tree branches along major routes and provide drinking water through tankers and mobile toilets at key locations.Munchun Rai, convener of the Ranchi Zila Durga Puja Committee, said, “The basic civic arrangements around pandals need to be completed before the festival. Dust should be cleared regularly, open drains should be covered and faulty streetlights should be repaired so that people can move around without inconvenience.”RMC officials said sanitation would be carried out in three shifts during the festival, with additional teams deployed at night. The civic body has also asked committees to keep adequate dustbins at pandal premises and encourage visitors to use them.“The engineering wing has been directed to inspect pandal sites and approach roads, identify potholes and undertake repairs and levelling wherever required. The horticulture wing has been asked to complete necessary pruning at major pandal sites and their approach roads within seven days,” it said in a statement.RMC said its Connect Centre (1800 570 1235) would remain operational round the clock during the festival for complaints related to sanitation, waterlogging, streetlights and other civic services.
