Goemkarponn desk
PONDA: The Work on Ponda 15 MLD STP commenced in 2016 but now, six years passed there is no sign of completion and inauguration of the plant.
For the past two years, there have been only assurances from Sewerage Department officials who declared various dates for the inauguration. Even the former PWD Minister had announced the completion of the Project during his tenure, but there is no Muhurat found yet for commissioning the plant.
Every time the officials say 95 per cent of work is completed, It’s Tarikh Pe Tarikh’s announcement by the Sewerage Department in the past year for completion of the Project.
The work began in 2016 and was expected to complete in 2018. After failing to complete the Project in an extended time in May, the sewerage department set December 2021 as another new deadline for completion of the Project.
According to officials, the basalt rock formation at the final stage for a distance of 230 meters had delayed the work. This involved lot of technical difficulties and caused further delay, said the officials.
Ponda locals’ suffering for the past four years because of bad road digging for sewerage work continued for six years.
It may be recalled that the road was dug at Ponda for the past four years on account of Pending sewerage work. The road hot mix carpeting is done at a few places where sewerage work is completed.
At present, the work on the 15 MLD STP building is completed. The sewerage network line is also completed. However, sewerage connections to the houses of locals are pending.
According to Ponda MLA and Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, lack of proper planning is the main cause of delay in the sewerage project work completion.
This is Rs 560 crore sewerage project without proper planning. He urged PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral to expedite the work, provide door-to-door connections and start STP operations. People should get the benefit of public money spent on the Project.
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