Complete sewerage project in Udaipur, demand residents

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, October 6

The residents of Udaipur have urged the authorities to complete the sewerage project notification for which was issued in 2009. They say that the area has emerged as a tourist attraction after all-weather connectivity was provided by the Atal Tunnel. Now an effective sewerage is needed as the number of tourists visiting the tourist area has increased manifold. The absence of the system is posing a threat to the Chenab.

Each house, hotel, home stay and commercial property in the area should be given a sewerage connection, they argue.

NOC cancelled

The project has been delayed as the Udaipur Gram Panchayat cancelled its no objection certificate (NOC) given to the department. The issue is being taken up again with the gram panchayat to obtain the NOC. —Ravinder Kumar Sharma, XEN, Jal Shakti Department, Keylong

Work left midway

In 2011, tenders were awarded to two contractors and over Rs 1 crore was spent to install a sewer pipeline in Udaipur. However, the work on the project was stopped midway, which hasn't resumed till now. —Sudershan Thakur, President, Gramin youth ogranisation Udaipur

In 2009, the Irrigation and Public Health Department had issued a notification to lay sewage pipeline to every house and set up a sewage treatment plant at a cost of Rs 4.13 crore. Sudershan Thakur, president of Gramin Youth Organisation Udaipur, says, “In 2011, tenders were awarded to two contractors and over Rs 1 crore was spent on installing a sewer pipeline in Udaipur. However, the work was stopped midway, which hasn’t resumed till now.”

Currently, the people of the Udaipur area, including hotel owners and home stay owners, are using cesspits to dispose of sewage. As tourist influx has increased, hotel owners fear the cesspits may get filled in advance, leaving them without sewage disposal methods.

Hee Ram Gaur, a home stay owner, says it is unfortunate that the project has been suffering due to the apathy of the successive governments. “Both the Congress and the BJP are responsible for the delay in completing the project. They did not bother about this project, which is the need of the hour in order to save the Chenab and the sensitive ecology of the area,” he adds.

Executive Engineer (XEN), Jal Shakti Department, Keylong, Ravinder Kumar Sharma says, “The project has been delayed as the Udaipur gram panchayat cancelled its no objection certificate (NOC) given to the department. The issue is being taken up again with the gram panchayat to obtain the NOC.”

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