Faulty road construction damages water pipeline

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, April 9

Damage to the drinking water pipeline due to faulty highway construction has rendered villagers in Naingaon wihout water, forcing them to stop road construction work near Nainbagh in Tehri district today.

The villagers have stated here that they would allow road construction only after the damaged pipeline is repaired.

The drinking water pipeline has been damaged at several places due to the ongoing road construction work on the Yamunotri Highway, resulting in acute water shortage in Naingaon village. The villagers rued the fact that they are forced to fetch water in utensils from the natural source, that is around 1.5 kilometres away near Navney Tok and have to take their livestock to the small rivulets around 2 kilometres away to quench their thirst.

The Naingaon residents, namely Shyam Singh Chauhan, Gambhir Singh Chauhan, Vikram Singh Chauhan, Chaman Singh Chauhan and president of the Gram Jal Sanchay Samiti, Bachan Singh, said they are angry at the PWD, which is conducting the highway construction project here. The residents said the PWD had failed to address their genuine problems so far, forcing them to stop the work till the pipeline is repaired here.

When contacted, Chief Engineer of the National Highway Division, PWD, Hariom Sharma, said he had received a complaint about the pipeline damage owing to the road construction work and had directed officials to repair the pipeline first and then begin the road construction work. He said the residents had complained about the assistant engineer for the highway project Surendar Singh for not fulfilling their demands. He said a notice would be sent to the assistant engineer for further action against him.