NAKODAR
The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) has failed to complete the first phase of laying sewerage lines in Nakodar town by 31 December 2019 as was submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by the state government.
PWSSB engineer-in-chief appearing for the state of Punjab had submitted an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli stating that the detailed project report (DPR) of the first phase sewer was approved and vetted by the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) on 6th May 2016 carrying scope of the lateral sewer of length30.67 km and intercepting sewer of the length of 6.96 km. He said that work is in progress and is likely to be completed by 31 December 2019.
It is pertinent to mention that the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) resumed work for the laying of the sewerage network in Nakodar in year 2016, which was started in 2006 and stopped in 2007 due to lack of funds.
PWSSB allotted a Rs 18 crore project to a private firm to lay a sewer of 30.97 km (branch lines) and intercept sewer (main lines) of 6.96 km by October 31, 2017.
PWSSB Jalandhar executive engineer Jatin and Nakodar sub-divisional engineer Deepak Kumar were not available for comments even after repeated attempts who had earlier said that 93 percent of the work had been completed.
Nakodar Nagar Council (NC)executive officer Ranndhir Singh said the sewage project has not been handed over to the NC.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli disposing of a civil writ petition filed by Aditya Bhatara on 16 January 2019 has ordered that to monitor further progress let the status report be filed after six months.
Petitioner Aditya Bhatara in a representation to the Punjab chief secretary and principal secretary of local government had said that the state has filed no status report in the high court as he has not received a copy of it being a petitioner.