The beautification of the Ayad River has been hampered by poor-quality sewer lines. To address this, a new project is introducing floating systems to capture waste and plastic in the river. The project, costing about Rs 1.20 crore, plans to install two floating systems in the riverbed. These systems will rise and fall with the water level, trapping waste in one location for later removal with a JCB. Similar systems are already in use in Odisha.

Udaipur Smart City officials, after reviewing the system in Odisha, sought approval from the district administration. The administration approved the project and allocated the budget. After the monsoon season, the irrigation department will install the floating systems in the Pulla and Gumaniya drains.

However, Smart City officials initially faced a setback when the headquarters rejected their proposal for the system. The center informed them that their term ended in June 2024 and gave them until March 2025 to complete existing tasks. They were instructed not to start new projects.

The district collector later approved the floating system and allocated a budget from the DMFT. Despite this, when the Smart City officials approached UMC and UDA for support, both agencies declined. The irrigation department will now handle the installation.

Source: Rajasthan Patrika