Karnal MC issues notice to construction agency

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 18

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has served a notice to a construction agency allegedly for delay in laying storm water drain lines and installing rainwater harvesting systems in the city. The authorities have asked the agency to submit a reply within a week, otherwise a penalty of 10 per cent of the total project would be imposed on it. The project is worth Rs 84 crore.

Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), three agencies were assigned the work of water supply, storm water drain lines, water harvesting systems, intermediate pumping stations and construction of various sewerage treatment plants. A Delhi-based agency was assigned the work of laying storm water drain lines, four rainwater harvesting systems and three intermediate pumping stations worth around Rs 84 crore, said Municipal Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav.

The deadline of the project was September 2019, but it had been extended to March 2020 and later due to lockdown it was extended to September, but even after missing two deadlines, the company had laid 31,963 metres of storm water drain lines out of total 37,634 metres, while the work on all four rainwater harvesting systems in Jhanjhari, Uchana, Dholgarh and Saidpura and that on intermediate pumping stations at Meri Ghati, Saidpura, and at Sector 4 were yet to be completed.

The Municipal Commissioner said to provide potable drinking water to villages falling under the MC, a project costing around Rs 13.05 crore was initiated, under which a water supply line of around 49 km was to be laid, of which around 45 km line had been laid. Five pumps have also been installed at Uchana, Daha, Jagir, Phoosgarh and Jarifa Viran and around 6,340 water connection has been given.