Poor cover-up exercise by MC

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 16

Covering up open dug-up pits for laying sewerage pipelines on the main road of Janta Nagar after a report in these columns, the sewerage department of the Municipal Corporation is showing more carelessness by shoddily covering it with inadequate mud. The leakages have not been stopped. In fact, making things worse, sewage is now entering the Sirhind canal at many places.

Confirming the filling of dug-up spots after the news report, XEN (Sewerage) Ashwani Kumar said, “We did not seek any permission from the irrigation department thinking it was a routine matter. We are now filling the dug-up spaces.” When questioned about the sewerage water entering the canal, XEN Ashwani Kumar feigned ignorance of any sewerage spilling into the canal.

Irrigation Department, XEN, Gurjinder Singh said, “We do not have any intimation about the project of the Sewerage department. Maybe our seniors do in Chandigarh.”

Harbhajan Singh, District Forest Officer (DFO), said, “After the report published in Bathinda Tribune, I have immediately sent the range officer on the spot and directed him to ask Municipal Corporation officials to stop digging the land near the trees and get it covered immediately.”

Residents alleged that the contractor, assigned the work by the sewerage department, had started digging the road without taking permission from the Irrigation and Forest Department concerned separately. Both the departments are learnt to have sent legal notices to the contractor. As a result, the work got delayed by over two months.

Mankeshwar Pandey, a resident, said, “During the Chhath Puja festival slated for October 25, thousands of devotees will come to the venue. It is indeed surprising that the concerned authorities have not bothered to lift uprooted trees lying on this stretch. The authorities’ have not bothered to check the overflowing sewerage entering the canal.”

When questioned on the uprooted trees, the District Forest Officer said, “I will immediately direct the range officer to lift the uprooted trees from the stretch.”