Jajpur: The highest amount of water cess is pending with the Vyasanagar municipality in this district.
The public health engineering organisation (PHEO), Cuttack Division-II, has not yet been able to collect Rs 52,31,134 from the civic body, a report said.
The PHEO has a total amount of over Rs 2.1 crore pending as water cess with seven civic bodies for 2017-18 and 2018-19. As many as 250 consumers have not cleared their water cess in Vysanagar.
Besides, the Jajpur municipality has to pay Rs 36,70,984 and Rs 39,28,859 is pending with Jagatsinghpur municipality.
Kendrapara and Pattamundai towns have cleared their water cess. This was stated in the report submitted by the executive engineer to the engineer-in-chief.
It was also learnt that the government has spent nearly Rs 50 crore for drinking water in Vyasanagar and Jajpur municipalities in the last five years. However, it is alleged that there is no improvement in the service with many people in the two civic bodies facing water shortage in summer.
Three wards in Vyasanagar and eight wards under Jajpur municipalities have been facing drinking water crisis in summer.
A major drinking water project, Kharashrota-Mundamala Treatment Plant, was launched in Vyasanagar in 2011, but it has not been completed even though six years have passed. A sum of Rs 14.51 crore was provided for the project under the Urban Infrastructure Development for Small and Medium Towns.
Besides, crores are being spent for maintenance, laying new pipelines and other works every year in this civic body. Vyasanagar has 4,872 supply pipe connections and 250 stand posts.
Apart from 207 stand posts, there are 1,683 private pipe connections in the 18 wards of Jajpur municipality.
For two years, Rs 30,15,730 is pending with Choudwar municipality towards water cess. Similarly, Athagarh owes Rs 27,15,893; Banki Rs 13,67,679; Jagatsinghpur Rs 39,28,859; and Paradip Rs 2,12,927.
Jajpur PHEO sub-divisional officer Khetramohan Sahu said last year water cess was collected house-to-house and it will be done this year too.
PNN