About hundred men were engaged in the desilting operation lasting over 75 days. Tonnes of silt and garbage that had got accumulated in the nullah over the years was removed. The entire length of the `ganda nullah', as it is popularly known, was covered. The nallah winds its way through the entire city and goes beyond Moti Bagh where it falls into the Badi Nadi.

In an interview with The Indian Express here today, Dr D.C. Sharma, Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation, said that the corporation had initiated proceedings against 65 persons under Section 133 of CrPC and cases against them were pending in the court of the sub-divisional magistrate for the last over eight months.

Sharma said that a special desilting drive was undertaken from March 12 to May 31, during which over one hundred men cleaned the nullah all through its length. He said regular cleaning of the nullah was necessary since people living along the nallah found it convenient to dump garbage, including polythene bags into the nallah. The situation was aggravated by the throwing of chicken waste by butchers, which clogs the drain at several places. The main vegetable market adjacent to the nallah in Aghomajra compounds the problem with rotten vegetables and packing material being dumped into the drain.

He said that 29 persons were employed on regular basis and engaged in desilting of the drain on daily basis. Men were being employed on daily wages to speed up work. During the special drive, 70 daily wagers had been employed, but from today 25 daily wagers and 29 regulars are engaged in desilting the drain. The health officer said that action is also being taken against certain residents of houses along the nullah who had been flushing latrines into the drain directly causing public nuisance.

Sharma sought public cooperation in keeping the drain free of polythene waste which resulted in choking the drain.