PWSSB cancels firm’s contract for laying sewerage

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 23

These days Jagtar Singh of Gaunsabad village, situated on the Ram Tirath road, has to be extra cautious while riding his two-wheeler to deliver milk in the city every foggy morning. Reason is over 20-foot-deep sewerage trench dangerously lying open in the village for past few months.

“There is always fear of falling in the open trench, which could prove dear,” he says, while adding that the government agency concerned forget to fill it after laying sewerage months ago.

Dharminder Aulakh of Kohali village, which is also situated on the same road, said many accidents took place on the dug up portion of the road. He said, “It prompted residents of the nearby area to raise temporary barricades and install makeshift bridges to facilitate crossing over of the people.”

After delay of many years the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) started work on laying mega Amritsar Sewerage Project in 2011. The project is jointly sponsored by the JICA, the state government and the Municipal Corporation (MC).

Meanwhile, superintendent engineer, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB), Arvind Mahajan, said the contract with the previous concern had been cancelled after inordinate delay in completion of the project.

He said tenders had been floated to allot the remaining work of laying 130 km sewerage network from Verka to Chheharta to six companies.

The previous private concern, engaged for doing the work, did not get no-objection certificate from the National Highway Authority to lay sewerage between Verka bypass inter section to Naraingarh crossing, he added. Complaints against the way sewerage was laid had been pouring in from all quarters. These were brought to the notice of the JICA, PWSSB and the Amritsar Municipal Corporation in many meetings. In one such meeting Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora had accepted that numerous complaints had been received from people and councillors of wards concerned.