Moving at snail’s pace, sewerage project may miss Mar 2023 deadline
The much awaited sewerage work in the Bahu Fort area is moving at a snail’s pace and may yet again miss another deadline, which was announced to be completed by March 2023.
Earlier the project was expected to be completed by December 2021 and then announced that it will be ready by March 2022 but four months have passed and the work is still moving at the snail’s pace.
Bahu Fort area is one of the most prominent locations in Jammu city where thousands of devotees visit every day to pay obeisance at Kali Temple locally known as ‘Bawe Wali Mata’ on the lines of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and has emerged as most famous area to attract tourists.
“The sewerage was supposed to be completed by March this year but the work has got delayed due to some unavoided hiccups and the next deadline is fixed for March 2023, which is also likely to be missed,” sources added.
“The work on the sewerage project started three years back but the pipes are still to be laid,” sources added and said that Rs.16.48 crore has been approved for it.
The sewerage pipes are lying along the roadside at Cable Car Chowk of Bahu Fort.
Situated on the hillock, the sewage will connect Bazigar Basti, Rajiv Basti, Pakka Talab, Kachha Talab, Shahbad Colony, Kalika Colony, Sheikh Nagar and Bikram Chowk.
“A sewerage treatment plant was set up at Belicharana to treat the sewerage gushing out in these localities,” said an official adding that the capacity of the plant is 40 million liters per day and once completed, this plant, will be helpful in treating NarwalaBala, Rajiv Nagar, Sabzi Mandi, Gorkha Nagar, Rajiv Basti, Kalika Colony, Sheikh Nagar and Bikram Chowk localities.
“As many as 5000 houses will be connected to this plant and 40,000 people will be benefited,” he added.
The local residents have demanded early completion of the project for relief.
“Sewerage work is going on in full swing in the Bahu Fort area but being done in a phased manner,” said an official adding that tenders have been floated for few more locations to rapidly carry the work but monsoon season played a spoilsport.
“Directions have also been issued to increase capacity to 100 MLD so that sewerage of other areas of Gandhinagar can also be connected to it in the coming days,” he expressed.
