Residents decry shoddy sewage pipeline work in Sector 12

Residents said that the 400-metre stretch work on the road from Old Railway to New Railway Road, one of the area’s main roads, has severely disrupted daily commuting.

Residents of Jacobpura in Sector 12 have raised concerns over the sewage pipeline work underway for the past month. They alleged that the area has been left in disarray, with shoddy work and broken roads causing inconvenience to the locals.

The sewer line’s ongoing work as seen on Friday. (HT PHOTO)

Residents said that the 400-metre stretch work on the road from Old Railway to New Railway Road, one of the area’s main roads, has severely disrupted daily commuting. They added that on Thursday, a water pipeline was damaged during the work, resulting in waterlogging along the entire stretch by evening.

“One morning in December, we got to know that work on the sewage pipeline had begun. We were neither informed nor consulted, and the next day we woke up to find the main road completely dug up,” said Col SP Verma (Rtd), a resident of Sector 12.

“The work is of inferior quality, with substandard materials being used again. When we raised the issue with the contractor, he said nothing would go wrong. But if sewage overflows again after a month, who will be held responsible. It would be a total waste of manpower, resources, and the residents’ money,” he said.

Jatin Chachra, another resident, said the entire road has been dug up, leaving little space for commuters and pedestrians. “Signages were put up, forcing commuters to take U-turns, which caused further traffic congestion. There was no sewage problem in our area, yet we still don’t understand why these pipes are being laid here,” he said.

“There is no accountability. We rarely see any officials from the corporation inspecting the contractors’ work. Six months or a year down the line, problems will arise and residents will suffer,” he added.

Ward Councillor Ashish Gupta said the work involves replacing an 8-inch pipeline with a 24-inch one. “This project is being undertaken after many years, and to lay these pipelines, they have to be installed 15 to 20 feet underground. Such work can cause temporary inconvenience to nearby residents, but they need to cooperate as it is ultimately for their benefit,” he said.

“The 400-meter stretch will take about a month more to complete. The contractor is not using any substandard materials, and I am inspecting the work daily.”