Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 19: Barely three months remain for the mega Nabakalebara festival, and not a single drainage project commissioned by the government in Puri is on track.
Records reveal that the government has undertaken drainage development works for 15.138 km, of which works along a 6.5 km stretch are on. Not a single phase of the work has been completed yet.
The projects seem certain to skip the deadline as a major part of the works are yet to start. Sources in the water resources department said out of 2.2 km drainage work in the first package, only one km has been completed. The remaining length of the drain could not be completed as the alignment of drainage was changed by the Puri collector. Instead of the outfall at cashew factory area, it was decided to change the outfall to Samaghara village area.
“Work is unable to start as villagers of Samaghara are not allowing the drain to be constructed in their village. After that, the government decided to revert to the earlier alignment, but now the cashew factory area people are also protesting. In such a situation, it is not known if this work can be taken up. At this stage, it is not possible to complete this stretch of work by April 30,” water resources secretary PK Jena wrote to Chief Secretary GC Pati.
Seeking his intervention, Jena said if adequate police support is not made available, drainage work cannot be completed in time. Similarly, 0.9 km drain work of 1.3 km in the second phase has been completed. The remaining length is unlikely to be completed by first week of May owing to the slow pace of work by contractor Ramesh Chandra Pratihari, Jena said.
The drainage works near Ashram Chhak and Gundicha Temple areas are expected to completed by the end of this month.
About 1,500 m stretch of drainage work on the sea beach front is yet to be completed. The piece of work was to be over by April, but now it is expected to be completed by May 15, Jena said.
