Residents seek sewerage facility in Palampur rural areas

Our Correspondent

Palampur, December 28

Residents of 12 panchayats on the periphery of the town have demanded the sewerage facility on a par with the municipal areas.

They said as 90 per cent of the town had extended as far as panchayat areas, the state government should further extend the municipal limits. They said despite repeated assurances by the state government to stop further air and water pollution as well as to make the town tourist-friendly, nothing had been done till date by successive governments.

The sanitary conditions in a dozen panchayats outside the municipal council boundaries are poor in the absence of political will.

Decaying organic matter, blocked drains and heaps of garbage welcome tourists to the tea town.

Official sources said a Centrally sponsored sewerage project for the satellite areas of the town was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 9 crore. But with the change of government in the state it was shelved and none paid any heed to people’s woes. Now the cost of this project has gone up to Rs 25 crore. The state government has expressed his helplessness to go ahead with the project on the pretext of financial crunch.

People’s Voice, a voluntary organisation of the town, condemned the apathetic attitude of the state government towards the town.

Addressing mediapersons here today, KB Ralhan and Neelam Sood, spokespersons of the organization, said in the absence of a comprehensive sewerage system it would give rise to vector-borne diseases.

They said the non-release of Rs 24 crore by the government indicated that it was not serious to the development of the town.

Caption: A garbage dump in Palampur. Tribune photo: Ravinder Sood