Sewerage projects running behind schedule in Jammu, Srinagar

Sewerage projects running behind schedule in Jammu, Srinagar

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Nov 08: The construction work of two major sewerage projects in the state of J&K which is been awaited completion for many years is likely to delay more, as numerous problems are being encountered by the agency responsible for carrying out such works in the Eastern part and this would have adverse impact on the entire ambitious project.

The project was started in March 2008 under the Urban Infrastructure and Development Scheme (UIG) of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is still seems to be inapt to end the multiple problems being faced by the common masses.

The State Housing and Urban Development (HoUD) Department is overseeing the implementation of the projects which is being executed by the National Buildings Construction Corporations Ltd (NBCC).

In its official report the HoUD has said that the pace of execution was slow due to shifting and realigning of BSNL and PHE utilities, site clearance and extremely narrow and congested areas of the old city. The overall physical progress achieved with regard to sewerage projects in Jammu and Srinagar stands at 40 per cent and 45 per cent respectively.

However, Commissioner JMC K L Khajuria when contacted has said that the project is being executed by three different agencies that is ERA, NCCC and HoUD, for which they have been provided the allocation of funds by mean of loan by different organization besides the funds allocation by the central govt. and they are working on the said project to finish it off at nearest.  Even a sewerage treatment plant being executed by HoUD, scaling of 27 million litre daily (MLD) capacity is about to complete in Jammu which is part of the project and it will complete December 2013.

Pertinently, the budget allocations by the Central government for the two sewerage systems are Rs 129.23 crore and Rs 132.92 crore respectively.

Besides construction of two plants in these cities, sewerage projects also include laying of trunk, lateral and raider sewer lines across major residential and commercial areas there and also providing house connections.

The house connections phase will be taken up only after major sewerage lines are laid down which is a difficult part because of traffic congestion in commercial areas and limited space availability in residential areas of the old city, the official report says.

In Jammu, sewer lines are being laid in 55.83 kilometers of the city connected to more than 30,000 homes. In Srinagar, the sewer lines will be connected to 48,000 homes spread across 143.8 kilometer area.

The HoUD has set 30 September, 2013 and 31 March, 2014 deadline for the sewerage project completion in Jammu and Srinagar respectively.

Whatsoever the claims of different authorities over delay in start of work, completion of already taken up work and digging up of roads in some areas once again, the fact is that people have been facing numerous difficulties during the past several years. Each and every agency responsible for the completion of project and those supervising the execution of the same should ensure that people’s difficulties are reduced at the earliest.