Tarn Taran: Victim of bureaucratic tussle, two STPs in disuse since 2019
Gurbaxpuri
Tarn Taran, February 1
Two sewage treatment plants (STPs) for the town are not working. Commissioned for treating the city sewer waste in 2019, these have been rendered non-functional because of a stalemate over its management between the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) and the Municipal Council.
Sewerage board, MC pass buck
The charge of the STPs is still with the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board and that the MC is in no way responsible for the maintenance and lack of operations at STPs. Kamaljit Singh, executive officer, MC
The charge of both STPs had been handed over to the MC on November 2, 2021. It was not the job of the board to depute a watchman to keep its property safe. — Sukhraj Singh, SDO, PWSSB
More importantly, these were never put to any use.
In the wake of no responsibility of any department, thieves have stolen components of the STP machinery and also construction material of the buildings. A visit by The Tribune correspondent shows that the buildings had been stripped of doors and windows. The machinery was found not fit for any engineering application. Both buildings don’t have any watchman.
Sanctioned in 2016, the first plant was installed on the Plasaur road with a capacity of 9 MLD with a cost of Rs 15 crore. The other STP, situated on the Kajikot road, having 4 MLD capacity was constructed at a cost of Rs 9.43 crore, said Bhupinder Singh Khera, a former president of the Municipal Council.
Sandeep Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, said, “The issue had been taken up for discussion by the administration recently with the wings concerned of the council and the sewerage board. SDM is being asked to ensure handing over the charge of the STPs to the municipal council as soon as possible. The council will be responsible for the maintenance of the machinery.”
Kamaljit Singh, Executive Officer (EO) of the MC, said the charge of the STPs was still with the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) and that the MC was in no way responsible for the maintenance and non-working of the STPs. He said both plants had been non-functional since 2019.
Sukhraj Singh, SDO, PWSSB, said the charge of both STPs had been handed over to the Municipal Council on November 2, 2021, and the board in no way was responsible. He said it was not the job of the board to depute a watchman to keep its property safe.
A senior council officer said, “Machinery worth crores have been destroyed just because the administration has not worked out a ‘transfer of power’ plan. We are all responsible for the expenditure that will be incurred on getting the plants functional.
