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India

Year after go-ahead, storm sewerage project remains chocked

Nidhi SinghiNidhi Singhi, TNN | Apr 16, 2012, 05.42AM IST

LUDHIANA: The sight of flooded streets and caved in roads of last year's monsoon seems to have escaped the memory of municipal authorities here who have not yet proposed the installing of storm sewerage even in the worst affected areas. While they claim that scarcity of funds is preventing the work, residents are dreading the thought of suffering again and demanding to know how the MC plans to deal with water logging without storm sewerage.

Even posh areas like BRS Nagar, Model Town, Model Town Extension, Dugri and other adjoining parts were flooded by rain water. Though MC officials admit that the existing domestic sewerage lines are unable to handle rain water and only 11% of the city has storm sewerage lines, they have done nothing about the situation yet.

Sources revealed that the storm sewerage projects that were passed last year have not been commissioned till date. The MC authorities had decided to install storm sewerage in Dholewal Chowk that was to be connected with the sewage line passing through Gurdwara Dukhniwaran. It was to cost Rs 85 lakh but the project has not yet taken off. Similarly, in BRS Nagar there was a proposal for installing storm sewerage near Laxmi Narayan Temple.

Trying to pacify residents, joint commissioner and head of operation and maintenance cell A S Sekhon said, ''There are several plans in the pipelines but all the plans cannot materialise at one time. We would install storm sewerages across the city one by one.''