Rs.9 crore spent on pipeline project but babus unaware

Huda officials in connivance with contractor committed fraud, Dhananjay Jha reports.

It is a sheer wastage of public money as the 8.5-km-long water pipeline, which was laid for supplying water to private colonies along Sohna Road eight years ago, is yet to become operational.

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Surprisingly, senior government officials say they have no idea about any such water pipeline project in the city.

“I have no idea about this project and I cannot say why it never became operational all these years. I will seek status report from the local authority,” said SS Dhillon, principal secretary, town and country planning department, Haryana.

The Rs.9-crore project was completed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) in 2004.

Sources in the authority say that it is a fraud committed by some officials with the help of a contractor.

It is said that a portion of the existing pipeline went missing even before it could become operational.

When asked about the delay, Huda chief engineer Pankaj Kumra said, “I cannot comment on the delay. Now the laying of 1,200 mm water pipeline is almost complete. The pipeline laid earlier had a much lower capacity. We hope the new line will be operational shortly.”

In an RTI reply last year, Huda had said that a new pipeline of bigger diameter is being laid down in place of the existing one.

Most of the private colonies are still dependent on groundwater in the city. Some developers, who applied for water connection in 2004-05, were given the supply through alternative lines, a source said.

“Huda has given us water connection from Sector 47/51 side instead of Sohna Road side. It has fulfilled our water needs for the time being. However, we are still waiting for the completion of Sohna Road water pipeline project,” said Subhash Raghav, assistant general manager, Malibu Towne that is located along Sohna Road.