Sewage mixing with drinking water supply at CHB colonies

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 29

People residing in flats at Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) colonies for economically weaker sections (EWS) are forced to receive drinking water mixed with sewage even as the city Municipal Corporation is waiting to get Rs 15 crore sanction from the board to carry out sewerage upgrade.

While occupants of these EWS colonies in Dhanas, Maloya, Ram Darbar, Vikas Nagar, and Sectors 56 and 38, have been paying ground rent/rent to the CHB, they continue to remain deprived of the basic facility of getting clean water in the “Smart City” of Chandigarh.

AAP councillor from Dhanas Ram Chander Yadav lamented, “In Dhanas colony, the sewerage system was built about 10 years ago when these flats were constructed. Overflowing sewage enters water meter chambers, finally making its way to water tanks. The sewerage laid by the CHB is of poor quality due to which people have been receiving sewage-mixed water supply for a long time. There is an urgent need to lay new pipelines.”

“Though the problem is old, I have been running from pillar to post for the past three years to get it redressed by meeting officials of the MC, CHB and UT Administration. I was recently told by the CHB that they have approved the funds estimate file sent by the MC, which is now pending with the Finance Secretary. The UT Adviser or the Administrator should take note of the matter,” he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, former Congress councillor Satish Kainth from Sector 56 shared, “Residents here complain of fever, nausea or stomach discomfort. I had got new sewer pipelines laid in Palsora, but in the Sector 56 colony, the MC did not carry it out due to some technical reasons.”

MC Chief Engineer NP Sharma said, “It is the property of the CHB. However, we still got the MC and CHB staff’s joint inspection done at these colonies following which we sent a Rs 15 crore estimate to the CHB. We will start the work soon after getting the approval for it.”