Storm water project in Sirsa under CM flying squad radar after quality plaints

The ongoing Phase-2 Storm Water Drainage Project in Sirsa, valued at over Rs 35 crore, is under investigation following serious complaints of poor construction quality and alleged irregularities.

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Responding to these concerns, the Chief Minister’s Flying Squad has launched a formal probe and requested a detailed report from the Executive Officer (EO) of the Municipal Council regarding both the drainage project and a related street construction.

The DSP of the CM Flying Squad, Hisar, sent an official letter to the Executive Officer of Municipal Council, Sirsa, on June 27 demanding urgent submission of key documents. These include tender notices, estimates, agreements, DNIT (Detailed Notice Inviting Tender), measurement books, payment records, site inspection reports and photographic evidence from the project sites.

Once compiled, the documents will be reviewed by senior officials and forwarded to the state government for further examination.

This development comes after a technical team from a reputed engineering college in Chandigarh collected samples from two locations to assess the quality of the drainage work. The results of their inspection are still awaited.

The project, launched on February 7 from Maharaja Agrasen Chowk, has faced delays and quality issues from the start. The pipeline work between Ambedkar Chowk and Parshuram Chowk was completed with much difficulty, and the pace of excavation remained slow.

Recent heavy rain caused parts of the soil to collapse, resulting in deep potholes, damage to roads and several days of halted work. Debris still lies scattered in several parts of the city.

Leakages near Dabwali Road have added to traffic woes. Major roads, including Begu Road, Circular Road, Hisar Road, Janata Bhawan Road and Hisaria Bazaar, have turned into muddy, waterlogged areas. In some areas, 2 to 3 feet of water collected during rain, severely affecting traffic and daily life.

Municipal Council EO Sunil Ranga confirmed to The Tribune that the CM Flying Squad has sought documents for both the drainage and street projects. “We’ve already submitted the documents related to street construction. Storm water project documents will be shared by next week,” he said, assuring full cooperation with the inquiry.

Sources from the Flying Squad added that once all documents are collected, technical experts would conduct an on-site assessment. Officials hinted that strict action could follow based on the findings in the coming weeks.

Earlier in Sirsa, two major storm water projects were completed -- one under the AMRUT Scheme 1.0 costing Rs 9 crore and another under the Municipal Council fund costing around Rs 37 crore (Phase-1). However, both projects faced serious complaints of irregularities and poor execution. Despite the completion of these projects, the city experienced severe waterlogging during the recent rain.