Gurugram: Official who failed to ensure sewage line shift at Iffco Chowk suspended

A sub-divisional engineer of the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) was suspended on Wednesday in connection with verification of a bill worth ₹7 crore that was paid to an NHAI contractor, despite the latter not completing the work of shifting the sewage line under Iffco Chowk

A sub-divisional engineer of the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) was suspended on Wednesday in connection with verification of a bill worth ₹7 crore that was paid to an NHAI contractor, despite the latter not completing the work of shifting the sewage line under Iffco Chowk.

New Delhi, India - August 23, 2021: A Road caved in under IFFCO Chowk Flyover in New Delhi, India on Monday, August 23, 2021. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) **Story pics for Abhishek Behl HT Gurugram** (HT photo)

The suspension comes after the matter was raised by Gurugram MLA Sudhir Singla in the state assembly on Tuesday. Singla said that despite the sub-divisional engineer verifying the bills which were cleared by NHAI for shifting the pipeline, the work has still not been completed. Replying to the question raised by Singla, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar ordered for a probe in the matter.

An order issued by Ajit Balaji Joshi, chief administrator, HSVP, on Wednesday, a copy of which with HT, said, “A sub divisional engineer, Civil, working in the office of executive engineer of HSVP is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect.” A senior HSVP official said the concerned official has been suspended in connection with the Iffco Chowk matter. “An enquiry has also been ordered and a report in this regard will be submitted to the government in two months,” said the official on the condition of anonymity.

The sewer pipeline running under the Iffco Chowk flyover carries the sewage of areas falling between Shankar Chowk and Iffco Chowk and is susceptible to leakages due to partial shifting of the pipeline. The work of shifting the pipeline was taken up during construction of the flyover at Iffco Chowk between 2016 and 2019.

On August 21 last year, a portion of the retaining wall of the flyover caved in due to leakage in the sewerage line. Following the collapse, GMDA officials said they repeatedly asked the NHAI to shift the sewage line as it made the flyover susceptible to similar cave-ins.

Replying on behalf of the CM, Haryana’s agriculture minister JP Dalal said in the assembly on Tuesday said the work of shifting the sewerage line passing under Iffco Chowk flyover in Gurugram was undertaken by the NHAI in 2017 under the supervision of HSVP. The payment for this work was made by NHAI to the contractor from its own funds. As part of the work, the existing master sewer line, about 1.7km long, had to be shifted due to construction of a flyover on NH-48 at IFFCO Chowk.

He further said it came to the light of GMDA that the work of shifting the sewage pipeline had been completed only partially and this was brought to the notice of NHAI in September 2020, March, August and December of last year. The NHAI is now taking remedial measures and shifting the existing sewer line and connecting it with the already laid sewer line as per site condition, said Dalal.

“The matter regarding release of payment of ₹7 crore for this work is related to NHAI and they have been asked to provide details for the same. One sub-divisional engineer of HSVP, who was now on deputation to GMDA, has prima facie verified the bills for payment by NHAI to the contractor. He has been repatriated to his parent department,” said Dalal.

When asked about the matter, Singla said he asked the government regarding the non-shifting of sewage line, despite payment being made by NHAI to the contractor on verification of a bill by a HSVP official. “The flyover at Iffco Chowk caved in last year and it had happened due to overflowing of the sewage line below it. I have asked the CM to investigate the matter and he has issued directions for a probe and action against the concerned official, who verified the bills,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gawar Constructions, the contractor awarded the work of shifting the pipeline, said it has not taken any undue payment and the final payment is yet to be released. “The payments have been made by NHAI as per the measurements and verified by HSVP. Around 200 metre sewage line could not be shifted due to existing utilities... as there was lack of space. We have also started work to connect the old and new pipeline and will strengthen the existing pipeline through ‘cured in pipe’ technology. We have not taken any undue payment, and this can be verified by the authorities. The allegation that we have taken undue payment is baseless,” a senior official of the company said on Wednesday.