Pipeline broken in Hisar (Jagran Photo)
Jagran correspondent, Hisar. The sweet dream of pure drinking water that was shown to thousands of people of the city under the Atal Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation Mission (AMRUT) scheme, has remained stuck till now. More than an estimated 50 thousand people are still waiting for the day when pure water like dreams will flow in the tap. This water yagya, which started in the year 2018-19, is still incomplete. The deadline of March 2020 has now become history on the pages of the calendar.
Amrit worth more than 100 crores, silence in the pipes
In the first Amrit Yojana, a project worth more than Rs 100 crore was prepared for the city. The private company had to lay about 136 km long drinking water line in the old city and Ward-11. The work was to be completed by the year 2020 at a cost of about Rs 35 crore, but even today the lines for 2026 are completely laid in dreams. The situation was such that now the dates kept changing, the enthusiasm for work kept dozing off while standing there. The work of laying drinking water line is still incomplete. The condition of sewerage is also no less glorious. The line of more than 50 kilometers length was to be laid at a cost of about Rs 71 crore. The deadline was March 2020, then it was 2021-22. That means no work was completed on time.
Amrit is still a dream in Ward-11
Intezaar has made his permanent residence in Ward-11 i.e. Satroad area. The first company to take the tender did half the work and left it half, as if it was an unfulfilled vow. The company was blacklisted, a new tender was floated and work started again. But the speed is the same as Ram Bharosa. Instead of water, only the reservoir of patience is flowing.
Pure and sufficient drinking water is not available even where lines are laid.
In some areas of Ward-16, lines were laid under Amrit Yojana. Even in them till date the public has not got sufficient and pure drinking water. Even today people are expecting adequate water from the government.
Monitoring: Active on paper and worrying in reality
Amrit Yojana remained surrounded by questions from the very beginning. The eyes of engineering remained focused more on files than on the field. According to the residents of the area, the line being laid from Hanuman Temple to Mini Bank is being laid in a crooked manner instead of a straight path. The condition of monitoring is such that the work is going on automatically in a status quo mode. The residents of the area demanded that at least the engineers should monitor the work.
Drinking water lines will be improved with Rs 160 crore
The Public Health Department is now brainstorming on a project worth Rs 160 crore. With this amount the city's 40 or more years old lines will be replaced. Crores of rupees will be spent towards making the public's dream of pure drinking water once again come true. Work on this project is expected to start in the year 2026.
The first project of drinking water line under Amrit Yojana is still going on and the remaining work is being done by another agency. Besides, Amrit 2.0 is also ready and information about it will be taken from the engineers. - Praveen Popli, Mayor, Hisar
How pure is your water? You also join Dainik Jagran's 'Every drop should be clean, every sip should be healthy' campaign. Send us a picture of the contaminated water coming to your house. We will publish it and bring your problem to the notice of the authorities, so that you get every drop clean. Send a photo of water with you to phone number 9991610100.