AMC Tightens Drainage Rules After Waterlogging; Contractors To Be Paid Only After Dummy Removal

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has made removal of temporary drainage plugs mandatory before contractor payments are released, after unremoved ‘dummies’ contributed to waterlogging during the monsoon.

Under the new system, two engineering officials must physically verify and sign off on the removal of dummies installed during drainage rehabilitation and desilting work. A register will also record where the plugs were installed and the date they were removed.

Unremoved Dummies Blocked Drainage Lines

Drainage rehabilitation is undertaken to strengthen ageing lines and increase their carrying capacity. Desilting work is also carried out to clear accumulated debris, followed by CCTV inspections of the pipelines.

Temporary plugs, locally referred to as ‘dummies’, are inserted into drainage lines during such work. They must be removed once the work is completed.

However, the AMC found that dummies had remained inside some drainage lines even after the work was finished. In some cases, engineering officials were also unaware of whether the plugs had been installed or removed.

Officials attributed the lapses partly to poor coordination between the zonal and project departments. The blocked lines subsequently affected stormwater drainage during the monsoon, leading to complaints of waterlogging in some areas.

Ellisbridge MLA Raises Issue

The matter was raised during a coordination committee meeting following a representation by the Ellisbridge MLA.

AMC Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani subsequently directed officials to ensure that dummies were removed after drainage work. The civic body has now decided to shift from verbal instructions to a record-based monitoring system.

Once work is completed, officials will have to enter the dummy removal details in a register. Contractor payments will be processed only after two designated officials verify the removal.

Memnagar Waterlogging Linked To RMS Lake Pipeline

A specific instance was reported in Memnagar, where drainage lines were laid to carry rainwater into RMS Lake in the Bodakdev ward.

The pipelines were intended to serve two purposes: reduce waterlogging in Memnagar and channel rainwater into RMS Lake to replenish it.

However, the temporary dummies blocking the outlets into the lake were not removed. With the pipeline openings still sealed, rainwater could not flow into the lake as planned, contributing to waterlogging in the surrounding area.

Dummy Removal To Be Verified Before Monsoon

Dharmashi Desai, chairman of the AMC Water Supply and Sewerage Committee, said instructions had been issued to maintain a register documenting the opening of dummies after drainage rehabilitation and desilting work.

The contractor will be paid only after two officials verify that the plugs have been removed, making accountability part of the payment process.

The system has been introduced after the monsoon, but officials have acknowledged the need to complete such verification before the rains begin. Timely removal and inspection of the temporary plugs could help prevent drainage blockages and reduce waterlogging during future monsoons.