Local bodies minister home town MC draws ire from residents
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Patiala
After becoming the chief minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh started the stalled developmental works in Patiala. During the SAD-BJP rule, Patiala was ignored by the ruling government of that time.
After, Capt Amarinder Singh became the chief minister of Punjab; residents of Patiala had high hopes from him. Their hopes got doubled after another MLA from Patiala (Patiala Rural) Brahm Mohindra became the local bodies minister in the Capt Amarinder Singh led Congress government. The state government had already sanctioned many projects for the betterment of the city. Municipal Corporation Patiala is the caretaker of the developmental projects of the royal city of Patiala.
Recently Mayor, Sanjiv Sharma Bittu and Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur of Municipal Corporation Patiala, started a project of replacing and laying the rain water disposal pipes and the construction of around one km road leading from 21 number railway crossing to 22 number crossing.
The said one km road becomes a lake, in the rainy season, even after a small spell of rain. Water gets accumulated on the said road and it becomes difficult to move on this road.
Gagandeep Kaur, whose parental home is in one of the localities on this side, said “after around 14-15 years, the present government addressed this problem. But the local municipal corporation authorities are not serious in solving the one of the major problems of this centrally located area of the city. This road is a VIP road and the lackadaisical behavior of the local bodies’ authorities raises the concern”.
Kamaljit, another resident said” the authorities removed the earlier 12” pipes, laid for rain water disposal, after the railway over bridge was made over 21 number phatak and the flow of the rain water was moved towards this road. Now the MC is laying 8” pipes, instead of 12” pipes. When 12” pipe fails to clear the rain water, then how is 8” pipe is able to clear the water?’
Simar, another resident of the near locality said “when the road will be recarpeted, all the lanes of Mansahaia colony, Sant Nagar, Puri market etc will become lower and the water will enter our houses. How can an 8” pipe handle the water flow, when the 12” pipe failed? No doubt the authorities ‘are at least trying to solve our problem, but if they do all the work keeping the future in mind, it will be appreciable”.
When contacted the MC officials, Suresh Kumar executive engineer, about the usage of small diameter pipe to flush out rain water from the road, where it creates havoc, every year he said” we had remove the defunct system of rain water disposal system, laid earlier, with 12” cement pipe, which were laid parallel with the main sewer line .That system is not working. Now, we have replaced the old system, removed the 12” pipe, as it was not working. Now , we are making around 10-12 pits and connected the same with each other and the water will go to the main sewer line of 36” diameter, passing through the centre of the road. Means, the water will go to the pits and from pits it will go to the main sewer line. We had connected almost all the gallies on this one km stretch with the lines”
But when questioned “why the MC is not laying 12” pipe, in the new setup, when the road is already dug up, new 8” plastic pipes are laid, roads will be recarpeted and why all work is not done keeping the future need in mind. The 12” or bigger pipe will flush out the rain water in minimum time. He said “it’s not technically viable to lay 12” pipe on this road.”
When raised another query of the residents that after the main road (between 21 number phatak and 22 number phatak) is recarpeted, the galies (road leading to the localities) will lower as compare to the main road and water will enter the houses, sewerage will back fire, if the rain water is not flush out timely, due to the pipes with small diameter (8”) , he start evading the questions and said “I am giving you my time. I have to look after the other developmental works of the city”.
“This behavior of the officials is highly condemnable. The residents of these localities elected congress municipal councilor, even during the SAD-BJP regime. These are the people who are derailing the developmental works of the royal city. It’s Mayor and MC officials’ sheer negligence, who is passing the projects, without keeping the future needs in mind. The corporation must replace the smaller diameter pipes with bigger diameter pipes“said another resident Gurpreet.
October 29,2020
