500 Mandi households yet to have sewerage network

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 1

As many as 500 households situated on the riverside in the district are yet to get the sewerage facility. The waste from these houses is flowing into the Suketi and Skodi rivers, which join the Beas river.

The worst affected areas are the Tungal colony and the Bheuli area. Residents of these colonies are fearing the epidemic outbreak as the absence of the sewerage network had led to stink all around.

Sources said although a sewerage tank was constructed in the area, it stopped functioning after some time. Residents were being forced to seek the services of manual scavengers.

Jai Prakash, Mast Ram, Mohan Singh, Narayan Singh and Jeet Singh, all residents of the Tungal colony said they had written to the MC authorities and the Mandi Deputy Commissioner in this regard, but no avail.

They said residents of the Bheuli area were using individual sewerage tank for toilets and bathroom, but it was a temporary solution.

Sushil of the Bheuli area said they were facing the threat of several diseases such as dengue and malaria. He urged the authorities to connect their households to the sewerage network at the earliest.

Locals alleged that the sewerage pipeline of Mandi town was also in bad condition. Due to seepage at several places, natural water sources of the town had also become unsafe for drinking purpose.

Suman Thakur, chairperson of the Mandi Municipal Council, said they had brought the issue to the notice of the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department. A proposal had also been sent to the government for approval of funds for the purpose.

Arun Sharma, XEN (IPH), Mandi, said, “To connect these households to the sewerage network, they had sent a project worth Rs 2.38 crore for approval to the Urban Development Department. As soon as the funds were received, the sewerage network would be laid in the area.