Meant for irrigation, treated water goes down the drain

A lmost 90 lakh litres of treated sewage has been getting wasted every day due to the lack of coordination among different government departments. Made functional a few days ago, the 9-MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), costing Rs 9.43 crore, is expected be of no use for people for quite some time as the officials concerned are yet to come up with a plan to utilise the treated water.

The STP inauguration ceremony was performed jointly by MLA Dharambeer Agnihotri and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal. The DC said 450-acre fields in the surrounding areas would be irrigated with the treated water. The DC said the Soil and Water Conservation Department, Punjab, was making plans to take the treated water to the fields of Plasaur and other villages for irrigation at the cost of Rs 3.25 crore. 

The project is yet to be sent to the government for approval. Residents say that it may take months for the project to get nod. Till then, the treated water would go down the drain. Lack of coordination among officials of different departments is the reason behind it. According to residents, the process should have been started well in advance before the completion of the project and they should have been aware that once the STP work is completed, the treated water would go waste.

The work on the STP commenced in August 2016 and it had to be completed within an year. Anand Associates, a Chandigarh-based agency that had been entrusted with the work, had to warn the state government many a time regarding halting of the work in case of non-release of funds. The project got delayed by two years.  Another STP, having 4-MLD capacity, was under construction in the town for Rs 5.4 crore in Kajikot village which too faced fund problem.

Baba Budha Sahib Jor Mela begins

A nagar kirtan marked the beginning of the three-day annual Jor Mela at Gurdwara Beer Baba Budha Sahib, Thatha, Chabal, on Sunday. The annual fair is organised in memory of Baba Budha Sahib. 

Thousands of devotees from far-off areas participated in the nagar kirtan. Baba Budha Sahib came in contact with Guru Nanak Dev at a minor age and had the luck to perform the tradition of taking Gurta Gaddi from Guru Anged Dev up to the sixth Guru, Hargobing Sahib. He was the first Granthi of Sachknand Sri Harmandir Sahib. He also laid the foundation stone of Gurdwara Baoli Sahib, Sri Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran.

The nagar kirtan started from Gurdwara Beer Baba Budha Sahib, Thatha, led by Panj Piaras. It passed through Baghiari, Swaragapuri, Adda Chabal and Chabal Khurd before concluding at its starting point. 

Decorated elephants and horses of Baba Bidhi Chand Sursingh sect, MLA Dharambeer Agnihotri and people of all religions, mainly Sikhs and Hindus, participated in the procession. A contingent of the Punjab Police saluted the nagar kirtan. 

SGPC president Bhai Gobind Singh Longowal and other office-bearers will attend the mela. Residents of the surrounding areas made langar (community kitchen) arrangements for the devotees coming to pay obeisance at the gurdwara at Thatha. 

The SGPC has made arrangements for boarding and accommodation for the devotees coming here. The fair will end on October 8.