13 works still pending, Chandigarh Smart City plan faces delays
Dushyant Singh Pundir
Chandigarh: July 27
Despite being selected as a Smart City in May 2016, Chandigarh is still grappling with the completion of several crucial projects under the initiative. As of today, 13 works worth Rs 1,500 crore are pending, causing concerns and raising discussions in the Lok Sabha session on Thursday.
According to Kaushal Kishore, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, of 98 works, 85 have been successfully completed, amounting to a cumulative expenditure of Rs 3,200 crore. However, the pending projects have become a matter of national importance, prompting the minister to issue a directive to complete these by June 2024.
Awaiting completion
- Sewage treatment plants
- 24X7 water supply in all sectors
- Integrated Command and Control Centre, Sector 17
- Rejuvenation of Sector 17 plaza
The key projects currently under development in Chandigarh include upgrading of sewage treatment plants (STPs), 24X7 water supply, implementation of Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Sector 17 and rejuvenation of Sector 17.
Officials have attributed the delays to unforeseen challenges posed by the pandemic. However, they have assured that progress is being made, and certain projects are nearing final stages. For instance, the ICCC is almost complete and the 24X7 water supply in Mani Majra is expected to be operational by February next year. Similarly, the rejuvenation of Sector 17 is in its final stages and is likely to be completed within two months.
One of the major ongoing works is the 24X7 water supply project, which is set to benefit the residents in the first phase (Sectors 1 to 30) by December 2024. The project, with a total financial outlay of Rs 578 crore, received a loan of Rs 412 crore from French government’s Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) to be repaid over 15 years. The EU is providing a grant of Rs 100 crore, while Chandigarh Smart City Limited will contribute Rs 68 crore towards the project.
Another significant project focuses on upgrading five STPs with sequencing batch reactors (SBR) technology. While work on two STPs — Dhanas and 3BRD — has been completed, Diggian STP, Mohali, expected to be finalised by September, and Raipur Khurd and Raipur Kalan will be upgraded by August this year.
