Old sewerage system caves in, residents bear the brunt

A part of the sewerage line between Kumbra Chowk and PCL Chowk here collapsed on Friday, causing sewage to overflow on to road gullies in Phase 3B2 of the town.

The overflowing waste water inconvenienced residents and caused a stink in the area. The public health department will soon begin repairs, which have been delayed because of the rain on Thursday night.

To repair the sewerage line, the department had to divert sewage to the other side and construct a concrete roof. But this could not be done as the sewage did not dry up. For this, the department has pressed five water pumps into service.

People working on the site have claimed that it would take 15 days to carry out the repairs if it does not rain again.

Public health executive engineer AS Dhami said the sewerage system was 45 years old. “We have repaired one side of the wall and will construct the other side of the wall too,” he said. He said sewerage line had collapsed as the bricks and iron with which it had been made had eroded.

Last year too, the sewerage line was damaged when workers were laying underground high-tension wires. The machines used to lay these high-tension wires had damaged the sewerage line.

Former councilor Kuljeet Singh Bedi said when the sewerage line had caved in last year, a Delhi company was hired. “As per the company's report, the sewerage system was unable to take the load of the entire town. It had recommended changing of the pipeline."

He added that an estimate of Rs 5 crore had been prepared. “The deputy commissioner (DC) had written to the GMADA chief administrator for the grant of funds as the MC was cash strapped,” he said.

Contacted, DC Varun Roojam said: “The issue was taken in a meeting of GMADA as well as MC officials. Both had agreed to lay a new line. But the problem is that the new line cannot be laid in place of the old line,” he said. “We will review the proposal and find a viable solution soon."