RMC’s new machines idle as rain chokes city drains | Ranchi News – Times of India

Ranchi: Even as parts of Ranchi continue to reel under sanitation issues, four advanced skid steer loader machines procured by the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), each costing Rs 44-45 lakh, have been lying unused for weeks. Brought in from Maharashtra in June to specifically clean congested lanes, clogged drains, and narrow alleys where large machines can’t operate, these compact machines remain parked idle at the RMC garage.“These are meant to revolutionise cleaning in high-density areas, but they haven’t even touched the streets yet. It’s a classic case of spending crores on infrastructure but failing in execution,” said an RMC cleaning staff member on condition of anonymity.The city, meanwhile, continues to grapple with overflowing drains, mounds of garbage, and silt-filled lanes, especially after the onset of monsoon. “You go to Hindpiri, Upper Bazar or areas around Kantatoli and you’ll still see trash rotting in corners,” said Rakesh Tirkey, a daily commuter.RMC also owns other mechanised garbage handling tools such as a garbage-suction vehicle (Rs 63 lakh), two super-suckers (Rs 2.28 crore each), and four road-sweeping machines (Rs 1.19 crore each). Yet, residents complain that core city areas remain chronically neglected.Acknowledging the issue, additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the skid steer loaders will finally be deployed from Monday. “These are specialised machines designed to access narrow streets. We brought them from Maharashtra after studying how well they worked there. The operators have now been trained, and from next week, they will be on the ground in phased deployment,” he said.Sanitation workers and ward supervisors have been instructed to identify key spots in each zone where these loaders can be put to best use. Whether the delayed deployment can make up for the lost time remains to be seen, but residents hope these high-end machines finally move from garages to garbage.